Interfamily Affairs and Games
by CNJ
Summary: Flip side of *Lies We Tell Ourselves and Each Other*...Concurrent with *LWTOaEO*, but from Martin's POV.  Martin's extra-marital affair and other actions catch up with him finally, not to mention several Brewer family secrets threaten to come out.
1. Chapter 1

Hi, I've been working on this story idea and the time frame is concurrent with my other story _Lies We Tell Ourselves and Each Other_. It's the flip side of the same story…from Martin's POV. It's sort of a sordid anti-hero's tale. Hope all of you enjoy this one as much as you did _LWTOAEO_.

I don't know how often I'll get a chance to update, but I hope I can squeeze in time here and there...enjoy!

The usual disclaimers that none of the characters _7__th__ Heaven _fans recognize are mine; they are the property of this show's producers.

So, here's the first installation of…

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

1

Martin:

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz_…the noise permeates my mind and pulls me from my sleep. I turn over and try to go back to sleep. It's still early.

But the noise persists and gets louder. It raises to an almost roar. Annoyed, I give up trying to sleep and with a gusty sigh, sit up in bed. It's my dad's lawnmower.

I've told Dad not to mow the lawn so early on Sunday morning, but I guess he hasn't paid attention. Dad can mow the lawn Saturday afternoons since he doesn't work on weekends.

Sunday is just about my only day to sleep late. The rest of the week I work in the mailroom of the Glen Oak Marine recruiting office or go to classes.

My wife, Sandy is up already and is in the laundry room. I hear my oldest son Aaron babbling in there also. A wail rises from the crib across the basement bedroom Sandy and I sleep in.

"Martin…" Sandy calls. "Can you get Michael?"

I sit up, not saying anything. I have the feeling Sandy's going to be in one of her naggish moods. Well, I'm not in the mood for it today.

"Maaaartin!" Sandy raises her voice. "I'm trying to get the wash…the least you can do is change your own son!"

"All right, I'm up," I tell her.

I get up, adjust my shorts and T-shirt and go over to Michael. Nine-month-old Michael is squalling and reaches up to me.

"Ooookay, big guy," I sigh and get the box of diapers.

I still have to make a face at the smelly mess babies leave. I get the diaper changed even though Michael kicks and keeps squalling. As I finish and put Michael down, I see Sandy framed in the doorway, watching me.

"Morning…" I mutter.

Sandy nods and runs a hand through her dark wavy hair. Aaron toddles by her with his little truck and dives onto the main basement floor and plays with it.

"Annie and Eric called yesterday…they're planning a cookout Labor Day weekend and want us there," I tell Sandy.

"Oh?" Sandy shrugs.

"Yes…we still owe them after all they've done for us," I say.

"Including getting us to marry for the boys' sakes…" Sandy says.

"It was the right thing to do after all the immorality that went on in that family," I say, sitting on the couch.

Sandy sighs and heads back into the laundry room. I turn on the TV and sit back to watch CNN for a while.

Maybe I should tell you about Reverend and Annie Camden…and their seven kids. Eric Camden is a Protestant preacher at the Glen Oak Church and his wife Annie is a stay at home mom.

But I guess Annie staying home hasn't done much good for any of their kids…the oldest, Matt lives in New York City and I guess he's done all right professionally. He and his wife Sarah are doctors. But Matt doesn't get along with Eric and he hardly speaks to either of his parents.

Mary made a complete mess out of her life…trashing the school gym in high school, got arrested until Eric bailed her out, did drugs, hung around with losers. I guess the only gumption Eric ever showed with her is to ship her off to her grandparents in Buffalo.

It really didn't do much good because Mary married this Hispanic guy, had three kids with him and left him several times, then finally left him for good a couple of years ago. Her ex-husband now is stuck raising the kids alone.

Lucy and Ruthie are the two who still live here in Glen Oak at that house…Lucy never moved out, is divorced with two kids and is an associate pastor with her dad at the church.

Lucy's pretty with round light blue eyes and blondish-brown hair. I've always been a little attracted to her, but she's kind of spoiled, immature, not very bright, and has a loud, shrill voice. She and her mother are home schooling the kids, but they too often squabble over the kids and over foolish things.

The two youngest Camden kids, fraternal twins Sam and David are also home schooled, but mostly Eric handles that department. That's a good thing because those boys are a bratty handful…they sass most of the adults around them and make fun of Ruthie and sometimes me.

I have a good idea how to handle them, however. I have this filthy glare I give them and that usually scares them into backing off. Ruthie constantly complains and whines about them. And then again, Ruthie complains also about her own daughter, Kaylee and about her parents and Lucy as well.

Annie's always been nice to me and kind of is like a second mother to me, which is more than I can say for my own mother. My own mother died of a speed overdose when I was nine. She never was there for me.

None of the Camdens or Sandy know this…I've told them that my mom died of cancer and they bought it. Only my dad and I know the truth and my dad's too proud to share it with anyone.

Ruthie is another story…I lived at the Camden house for almost two years while my dad was serving in Iraq. Ruthie and I spent a lot of time together since she is two years younger than me. I often gave her a ride to and from school and she'd tell me about her troubles with her family and with her classmates.

She never had an easy time making friends, so she mostly hung around with me, Vincent, and Mac. At one point, however, she thought I was in love with her and I was flattered, so I didn't tell her anything, but just let her have her fantasy for a while.

Her parents seldom pay much attention to her; they were too busy doting on Lucy, the family princess, doting on the twin boys of the family, Sam and David, who were the two youngest, or dealing with Simon, who had been in college and was another case in himself. I'll explain about Simon in a bit.

Ruthie might have actually been in love with me, but mostly she wanted me to be in love with her. But I had other things going in my life besides her and I guess she didn't realize it; she's self-centered in that way.

I went by the college Simon was and met Sandy and we hooked up. I never really meant for anything to come out of it and we just did it once…but Sandy became pregnant and came after me with threats of paternity suits and public embarrassment.

Ruthie also had gotten wind of Sandy's pregnancy with my son and had been so upset she'd screamed at me and slapped me.

I didn't want anything to do with her or her baby, but my dad pressured me into giving in to her demands. Eric added the icing by basically blackmailing me into marrying her because we both do believe that it's wrong to have children when you're unmarried. And I certainly didn't want to get a reputation like Simon's of sleeping around, so I gave in just to avoid scandal.

So now Sandy and I live with my dad and share the basement with our two sons. It was my dad who got me the Marine office job. I'm not in the Marines, but just work for them.

A couple of years later, Ruthie got herself into trouble with Mac and wound up having a baby by Mac and dropping out of college. Mac dumped her and just ran off, which is despicable.

Mac was one of the ones who used to hang around Ruthie and me back in high school, but now he's taken off and I heard he's living somewhere in Chicago where he has two other kids and is living with this other woman we'd never met. Ugh, Mac's disgusting.

Simon…ugh…that boy is a piece of work. He's usually moody, rarely calls his parents, got drunk in high school, and in college slept around with a lot of women. He graduated, despite being put on disciplinary probation for sneaking girls into his dorm room and now temps at various odd jobs.

Simon has a lot of mental and emotional problems not to mention an awful case of asthma that makes him cough and wheeze a lot. Last time he came home this past spring, he couldn't stop coughing and had several wheezing attacks.

He sounded so awful I wondered just who his doctor was. I asked Annie about it, but she told me he's been secretive and defensive about his disease and won't let Eric get him a better doctor.

Annie and Eric never knew the right way to handle him. Simon left for college a year early after he was involved in some accident where a kid was killed and Simon was a greater basket case than he usually is. Annie says he couldn't stop crying for months afterward and had to see a shrink.

I suspect part of Simon's problem is that he likes being miserable and brooding. Kill me if I ever get like that.

Ruthie tells me that she and Simon used to be close, but I guess his mental problems took over and he basically drifted away from her in high school, then left her when he went away to college.

Ruthie often complains to me about this…she still hasn't forgiven Simon for leaving. That's part of why she often clung to me in her high school years…and I still think she hopes I will dump Sandy and go back to her.

So he's living in Northern California now, drifting from one temp job to another, not knowing which end is up, sleeping around, and moping about his life.

Eric is still trying to reach out and help him get a permanent job, but Simon's an idiot in that department also…he refuses Eric's help and won't return Eric's calls.

And Annie still calls him, all concerned about his asthma, but Simon seldom returns her calls.

Thinking of Simon gets on my nerves as usual, so I try to banish his skinny, bushed-browed face from my mind for now and concentrate on the baseball game, which is now starting.

Baseball is actually my first love…I'd hoped to get into pro baseball myself, but things in my life sidetracked that dream. Maybe a few years from now things will be different. But for now, I just have to deal with life dealing me a short hand, including a dad who mows the grass at an ungodly hour on Sunday morning.

"…so if could get Eric to go with the Evangelical Education program, then he could teach the boys at their grade level and Lucy and I can teach Savannah at the kindergarten level," Annie tells me a few hours later as she is getting dinner together. Meat loaf and garlic mashed potatoes with a potpourri of seasoned vegetables that she is now stir-frying in a pan….it all smells so good and I'm glad I've come over for Sunday dinner.

I usually just pop in and talk with Annie for a while and sometimes hand her the ingredients while she's cooking and she usually winds up inviting me. It's better than eating at home with Dad, Sandy and the boys.

And the meals here are so much better…Annie always goes all out for meals; none of that frozen food stuff or spaghetti shortcuts.

"Mom…have you seen Rick's diaper box?" Lucy bounds into the kitchen. She sees me and her blue eyes brighten a bit. "Hi, Martin…Mom, I can't find it."

"No…I thought you kept those in your closet," Annie says.

Lucy rolls her eyes. "I have enough in my overstuffed closet without a bulky diaper box crammed in there…don't you have a place you put it when you go shopping…the linen closet or something…because I checked and it's not there."

"Lucy, I have enough to keep track of without having to track your things also," Annie takes the veggies off the stove and moves into the dining room to start setting the table.

Lucy follows her, complaining, "Well, if it was too much for you to know where your grandson's diapers are, the least you could have done is told me!"

I hear the plates being clanged onto the table and the silverware being clinked beside the plates.

"I have told you it's time you started keeping track of your own belongings," Annie sighs gustily. "I'll help you look around after we eat…meanwhile, you can borrow one from the closet in Ruthie's room…she has Kaylee's diapers in there…"

I guess Lucy goes because Annie comes back into the kitchen. She sighs again. "She never did keep track of her own things…now she always comes to me as if I should know where her things and her kids' things are…if it weren't for her father and me, I have no idea where Lucy would be, she's so scatterbrained sometimes."

"Probably with Kevin," I quip. Kevin is Lucy's ex-husband. He lives down in LA and hardly ever comes to Glen Oak anymore. Lucy hates him and for a long time, didn't stop complaining about him and what an awful husband he was.

"Sometimes I do wish Kevin was still around," Annie says as I help her carry the food into the dining room. I hear the TV in the living room going and Sam and David running around, probably knocking things over. "Kevin often tempered Lucy…I still can't believe he just up and left her…"

Annie gets the big salad bowl from the kitchen and continues. "I sometimes could kill him…one night they just had a huge fight when they were living in that house next door…something about money and Eric and me…there was a lot of yelling and one of the neighbors called the police…all the neighbors came gawking at us…it was so embarrassing, especially since Lucy was screaming her head off and Kevin was packing and just ran out the door and never came back…just gone from her life…Lucy then had to move back home with us…she never could manage her money and what money she did make wasn't enough to support her children or keep up with the house payments."

"That's too bad…did they try marriage counseling?"

"Her father tried to get Kevin to come for it…but he wouldn't and a few days later, took a police job in LA and was gone within a week…Lucy had to move home…she moped around for several months and couldn't even work or take care of the kids…her father and I had to take over there…and this was on top of Ruthie becoming pregnant with that scum Mac…we had to deal with that also, not to mention Ruthie having to leave college and come back home…Eric and I will never forgive Mac for knocking Ruthie up, then leaving her high and dry with the bag…and I'm not sure I can fully forgive Ruthie for getting herself into this mess to begin with…she has no idea how to raise a kid, although God knows, I'm trying to teach her how to be a mother…"

A little shriek explodes from the living room and I hear one of the babies crying. "Mom, Sam tripped meeee with string…" Ruthie wails from the living room.

"Aaaand Ruthie stepped on my cardboard houuuuuuuuuse…" Sam adds his own loud voice.

"You were the one who put it right in the middle of the floor!" Ruthie screams at him. "And you woke Kaylee up after I spent hours trying to put her down…you have no respect for anyone else but yourself!"

"Aaaah, shut up, butt brain," Sam snarls.

"You shut up, you little pig!" Ruthie yells back and I hear scuffling.

"KIDS!" Annie runs into the living room. I follow and see Ruthie and Sam tangled in each other, slapping and kicking at each other.

"BOTH OF YOU STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Annie shouts, pulling Ruthie up by the arm. "Ruthie, you should know better than that!"

"It's not my fault!" Ruthie howls, her face going red. "He's the one who started snarking at me, then tripped me! He's always pulling crap like this on me and then I get the blame! When are you going to be a mother and discipline your sons, huh?"

"Okay, not another word!" Annie barks at her. "Sam and David, go get washed up for supper and no more of this silly bickering…I've had enough for today…go…I'm not telling any of you again!"

Smirking at this display, I slip back into the kitchen. "Hi, Martin," Ruthie follows me. Her curly hair is all over the place and she's still breathing hard.

"Hi," I say, smiling at her.

"I'm so sorry about my bratty brothers," Ruthie rolls her eyes as she leans on the counter. "Those boys are so out of control and neither Mom or Dad do anything to control them…Mom just blames me for the crap they do to me…it's positively sickening…and they also pamper Lucy…she's always been the family princess who can do no wrong in their eyes, so I get the shaft there too…I'm so glad I have you on my side, Martin…I don't know what I'd do without you…I'm just sorry you're stuck with that tramp…"

"And I'm sorry you're stuck with those brats also," I say, patting her shoulder. She leans on me a minute. I laugh ruefully. "We're both stuck in crappy living situations."

"Yeah…I wish you could dump her…" Ruthie says. "I wish we could just move away from here and go someplace like Palm Springs or Fort Lauderdale…live on the beach where it's warm all the time…just you and me…no Lucy…none of the twins' stupidity…no Sandy and her brats…no Mom and Dad breathing down my back and criticizing me…"

"Not to mention being away from my dad…not having to work that stupid mailroom job just to have a little money…my dad insists that I pay for the boys myself and support Sandy…she and Dad both get on my nerves…they always get on my case over trivial things if that makes you feel better, Ruthie…"

"We'd just have the beach, the waves, the palm trees, the warm breezes and just each other," Ruthie sighs.

"Dinner." Annie interrupts our mutual fantasy when she sticks her head in.

Reluctantly, we enter the dining room and sit down to eat. I notice Lucy scowling as Ruthie and I wind up next to each other. I ignore it and listen to Eric say grace. The twins giggle and poke each other until Annie glares them into silence. We all bow our heads at the end and say, "Amen…" before we start passing around food to eat.

…so if we have the cookout that Sunday of Labor Day weekend, we can invite the whole family," Annie is saying as she discusses cookout plans, which are next weekend.

"Let's hope we can get the other three prodigal children to come," Eric adds. "With Matt, it's like pulling teeth, especially since he married Sarah and they moved all the way to New York…"

"Mary's still iffy," Annie says. "The only time we hear from her is when she needs something from us…"

"Oh, Mom, you really aren't serious about inviting her after all she's done!" Lucy exclaims indignantly.

"Of course I am…" Annie tells her. "Even though she got into a lot of trouble, she's still family…"

"Yeah and whenever she does come you spoil and pamper her and ignore me!" Lucy complains.

"It wouldn't kill you not to be the center of the universe, Luce," Sam adds with a curl of his lip.

"Butt out, Sam!" Lucy glares at him, then back at Mom. "Remember when she first came back from Buffalo a year after you sent her away…you acted like she was royalty and showered her with all this love and attention and shunned the rest of us…"

"And as I remember, the rest of you kids, including Simon and Matt, rebelled and hid out in the garage," Annie retorts. "All of you were very disrespectful to me and your father…it took me a long time to forgive all of you for that betrayal and show of disrespect…"

"You all hid out in the garage?" I laugh.

"Yeah…" Ruthie nods. "And Mom locked us all out for a week after yelling at us…Simon was shaking after Mom yelled at us…I was the one who went in first and apologized when none of the others did."

"I'd love to have seen that…especially Simon," I laugh. Simon really is pathetic.

"Yeah…and Simon was already depressed and brooding all the time as it was and it was driving Mom crazy…"

"Just because you wanted to butter up Mom and Dad, not because you were really sorry!" Lucy sneers at Ruthie. "You usually disrespect everyone…remember that huge scene you made in the airport a few years ago on the way back from Scotland when Dad had his heart trouble?"

"Stop throwing the past in my face!" Ruthie shouts. "I learned from those mistakes, unlike you…you're the family princess, so of course you're above admitting blame…"

"That's enough, girls…" Eric booms. "This is a family meal and Martin is here, so let's stop rehashing past grudges and enjoy this time as a family."

Ruthie and Lucy stop bickering for now, but continue to glare at each other for the rest of the meal.

"So…anyway," Annie continues. "I'll try to talk Simon into coming…"

"Yuck!" David and Sam say.

"Yuck?" Annie says. "Boys, this is your brother who we all love…and let's show him a little kindness despite his problems, okay?"

I snort in hiding a laugh. Yeah…that'll happen. The twins are always making fun of Simon since he's so weird.

"Sure…" David shrugs. "How did his nose get bashed in anyway? And why does he mope around like some half-dead ghost?"

"And what's wrong with his mouth?" Sam sneers, making me laugh. I try to do so quietly. "Was he born deformed like that or did somebody beat him up?"

"No, no one beat him up, "Eric sighs. "People all look different just like you and I look different…look at Ruthie and my brown hair and your mother's blond hair…and Martin's black hair…does that make us 'weird'? No, it just makes us unique. So when Simon comes, no rude comments, all right? Simon has enough problems as it is and we need to be supportive, not mocking."

"Sure…" Sam smirks and David nods, but I know this little lecture will just go right out the window.

They've embarrassed Simon more than once with their comments. And Simon doesn't help matters by either going red, wincing, or shrinking back from them. Once he even got tears in his eyes and ducked into the bathroom after Sam insulted him.

"Is Simon adopted?" Sam asks. "He doesn't look anything like us at all."

Annie stiffens and draws a sharp intake of breath. "No, he is not adopted," she tells them grimly. "He is our son as much as you two are….speaking of Simon…Eric, did you go through and try to set up that interview with the Gorman company?"

"I did, but Simon told me he wasn't interested," Eric sighs. "I told him it was an office for a movie magazine…he'd get to meet stars and producers and would be just two hours from here, but closer to LA…but he just said no and would just continue the odd temp jobs…I don't understand why he doesn't want my help…I could get him a terrific job in his interests…but he doesn't budge…"

"His loss," I say. "Maybe he just doesn't have the drive or ambition…"

I also suspect he's just lazy and doesn't want to grab the opportunities that are there. It kind of irks me that while I am stuck doing a crappy mailroom job courtesy of my own dad, who's stingy, Simon has a dad who can get him into plum jobs in the movie industry he claims to be interested in, but Simon just wastes those opportunities.

"I think he wants a better, permanent job," Annie says. "But he still is carrying around excess baggage from his issues from this family and won't forgive us for what happened in college…remember his sex fiascos in college…we tried to intervene, but he just pushed us away and never forgave us…that boy can hold on to grudges…I just wish he would get over it and try to heal things with us…"

"I guess you have to accept the fact that it's Simon's problem, not yours," I advise them. "You did the best you could…Simon's lucky to have you as his parents…my dad just has me in some mailroom job, but you, Eric, are willing to go the extra mile for Simon. And if he doesn't appreciate that, it's his loss."

"Thank you, Martin," Annie croons. She reaches over and pats my hand. "I really needed to hear that…and I guess I'm grateful I have some of my family here with me…"

"I'm glad I have you…" I say, feeling flattered by Annie's praise.

Ruthie's smiling at me while Lucy rolls her eyes. I smile back at Ruthie. Ruthie's a pain sometimes, but I'm glad I have her. We can talk to each other about things we can never tell anyone else in the world.

Hope you all enjoyed this beginning…coming up is the interesting cookout!


	2. Chapter 2

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

2

"Hey, don't act too excited about seeing the Camdens," I quip to Sandy as we get ready for the Labor Day cookout early Sunday afternoon.

"I'm sorry I'm not more thrilled to see them especially Lucy and Annie," Sandy sighs as she helps Aaron button his shirt and ties Michael's shoes. "I still get the feeling they don't like me."

"They like you fine," I tell her, growing tired of her complaints about them.

It's rather true that neither Lucy or Annie are fond of Sandy, but they do act civil toward her during family gatherings. We leave and drive over to the Camdens mostly in silence.

"I wonder if Simon will be there," Sandy says.

I make a face. "As if anyone cares…"

"You could be more civil to Simon," Sandy says. "I know you don't like him, but he's a really nice guy…he helped me a lot a few years ago."

"I'm sure he did…he helped a lot of women in college," I retort.

He sure helped all those college girls lose their virginity. It was disgusting and low the way he'd have a different girl in his bed almost every other week and acted like "everyone" did that.

I know I had premarital sex also, but mine was different. It was just Sandy and I realized I'd made a mistake and tried to move on. But my dad and Sandy didn't let me move on, so I'm stuck in a life I never chose.

It really burns me up that Simon got off scot-free for his immorality and isn't tied down with a wife and kid; he just moved on his merry way, finished college and is now living in his own apartment, basically having the freedom to do as he pleases. I hope he gets a horrible, incurable disease worse than AIDS.

"Heyyy, watch that carrr!" Sandy suddenly wails.

A car has nearly sideswiped us and the driver blows the horn as if his ineptness at the wheel is my fault. I blow back and move back a lane. Sandy's gripping the door handle as if I'm driving like a maniac.

"Relax," I tell her. "I know what I'm doing…I kept us from crashing."

We arrive at the cookout a minute later and unload the kids. Aaron starts to run toward the back gate where we hear the voices and see the smoke rising from the grill.

We enter just as the Camdens are sitting down to eat. Eric smiles at us and Annie waves us over.

"Hiii, Martin!" Ruthie squeals happily.

She jumps up, runs over, and gives me a hug. I hug back, feeling flattered to have her still wanting me to be into her.

Sandy hangs back. Matt is not there, but unfortunately Simon is and so is Mary.

"Hello, Sandy," Simon greets Sandy and ignores me as usual. He gets up and comes over to Sandy as if I invited him over and gives her a hug right in front of me.

"Hi, Simon…hi, everybody," Sandy says as we sit.

I glare at Simon as he sits back down, but Simon keeps ignoring me and smiles at my sons as if they are his. Ruthie starts to stand up to walk with me to my seat, but Annie glares at her and points her down to her seat.

Unfortunately, my seat is just two seats away from Simon. "So…we finally see you again, Simon," I can't help adding, feeling my lip curl in disgust at seeing his horrid face again. Simon's wearing these geeky, gold-rimmed glasses and his dark gold stringy hair is unkempt as usual.

"Hello, Martin," he says through gritted teeth, his silver eyes narrowing at me as if I'm some cockroach.

Annie passes me a burger and some potato salad and I fork some, imagine it being Simon's face. I wonder if Simon, who is stabbing his fork viciously into his meat patty is having the same wonderful thoughts about me.

* * *

"Simon still is trying to butter you up!" I tell Sandy as we get home later.

I'm fuming at the way Simon carried on with Sandy during the meal and also kept cooing over _MY_ sons as if they were his.

"No, Simon genuinely cares about our sons," Sandy says. "Unlike most others, Simon is not wrapped up in himself…he knows how to reach out to others…"

"Yeah, he does all right!" I snipe. "He sure did his share of 'reaching out' in college to get a girl in bed with him…he was very generous there…and yet, with his own parents, he closes himself off and brushes them off when they offer to help him…not to mention that he's basically abandoned Ruthie…"

"And I saw you and her carrying on…" Sandy bites back. "I saw you, the way you ate up the attention she heaped on you…she's still into you and you use her to your advantage…"

"That's enough," I snarl. "I'm only there for Ruthie as a friend because she doesn't have anybody else…her mom and Lucy only pay attention to her to criticize her; Matt never calls any of them; Mary ignores her; Simon, then Mac have dumped her, so I'm the only one who's really there for her, so she needs me…I have no intention of turning my back on her to please you…"

"And I'm not going to join you in your _I hate Simon_ trip…" Sandy bellows.

"Come on, get real!" I shout, furious at her naïveté and Simon's manipulations with her. "Simon is just out to use you…he has had a grudge on me for years and uses you to get to me…Simon hates me because I see through him and see what a low-class scum he is…"

"You know what, I'm going to bed rather than listen to you trash Simon!" Sandy barks and heads to the bedroom section, turning her back on me. "You can either stand there and argue with yourself and fume over Simon to yourself or come to bed…but I'm not going to listen…goodnight, Martin." Sandy turns out the light on me with a sharp click.

I'm still fuming. I stand there for a long time, sick of Simon, growing tired of Sandy. I head upstairs to grab a cool drink. My dad is sitting at the kitchen table.

"Bad night?" he queries.

"Yeah…and I don't feel like answering a million questions," I say as I sit and take a sip of club soda.

"No need…I could hear you two from up here," Dad sips his coffee and folds the newspaper he's been reading. "You still have issues with Simon Camden, I see."

"That boy disgusts me," I spit.

"I've heard he's actually quite nice," Dad says. "I heard he helped several foster kids find a home together…I think their name was Davids or something…"

"Yeah…Davis…" I admit. "He got himself almost kicked out of the dorms having one of the girls in the room…Eric had to step in because Simon was lying…just because he got the Davises together still doesn't make him any less of a skeeze…at the cookout, he was all over Sandy and my sons…he acted as if he were Aaron and Michael's dad…and Sandy fell for his attention…"

"Perhaps if you gave her more positive attention here at home, she wouldn't be vulnerable to others' attention," Dad says.

"I try, Dad," I snap. "But she doesn't make it easy for me…I get my butt out of bed six days a week to work or school and come home and she's often either too tired to pay attention to me or is full of complaints about her day…and she's not even working; she's at home with the kids all day…"

"So's Annie," Dad says. "But actually what Sandy and Annie are doing is similar and important. Aren't you the one who is always singing Annie's praises in staying home with her kids?"

"Well, yeah, but Annie doesn't just ignore Eric," I say.

"Maybe if you sang Sandy's praises more often and thanked her for the work she's doing raising your two sons, she'd be more receptive to you…and your marriage would be more satisfying…not to mention you'd be creating a better environment for your boys."

"Oh, great, so the whole work is totally up to me?" I demand.

"It's up to both of you to make your family work," Dad says. "And perhaps if you yourself spent less time complaining over Simon and learning to let go of your own grudge on Simon, you'd have more energy to spend on your marriage and your sons…you'd then be freer to give the same affection to your boys as Simon does."

I start to protest, but Dad holds up a silencing finger in a kind of Marine salute.

"Think about it and sleep on it," Dad says, getting up and putting his cup in the dishwasher. "Goodnight, son…sleep well." He exits the kitchen before I have a chance to say anything more.

I'm still fuming and still can't stand Simon, but I'm not as furious as I was before. I sit for a long time, sipping my club soda.

I smile when I think of Ruthie at the cookout…she actually gave me more attention than Sandy has in years. I know it's because she still wants me to be in love with her, still wants me to ditch Sandy. I wonder however Simon and Ruthie could ever be related.

Ruthie's outgoing, pretty, funny, charming…everything Simon is not. I actually do sometimes wonder if Simon is secretly adopted since he doesn't look like anyone in the Camden family. Nobody has that weird, pushed-in dog nose he has nor do they have his stringy-straight hair, his huge, oversized lips or his freckles.

I have my cell with me and would love to hear a voice that accepts me, a voice that is not full of unwanted advice or criticism. So I dial and hope I get Ruthie. Unfortunately, it's Sam who answers the phone.

"'Lo…" he mumbles.

"Is Ruthie there?" I ask him.

"Yes, she is," he says, but then hangs up on me.

I scowl in frustration at this rudeness, then re-dial.

"Eyyy…" Sam again.

"Is Ruthie there…is she upstairs?" I ask, struggling not to shout at the little twit.

"Sure, she is…and up in her room," Sam tells me, but hangs up on me a second time.

"Drat!" I hiss, slamming my fist on the table.

Those twins are the biggest brats imaginable. I wait a few minutes, then re-dial a third time, hoping that Sam has left the kitchen and fallen through a hole or something.

This time it's a younger voice that picks up. At first, I can't tell who it is, but she identifies herself as Savannah. Lucy's daughter.

"Is Ruthie there?" I ask her, hoping that she won't be playing stupid games with me. There needs to be a law against letting kids answer the phone.

"Yes…who is calling, puleeeze?" she tweets.

I heave a sigh. "It's Martin." There's a long pause, so I add. "You remember…from the cookout…Martin Brewer." I try to contain my patience as I spell this out for her, wondering why she needs to know who I am.

"Oh…yeah…you're the one who doesn't like Uncle Simon…"

"Just see if your Aunt Ruthie is around and if she is, bring her to the phone," I try hard not to snap.

"Okay, let me see if I can get her…" Savannah clunks the phone onto the counter with an annoying thud. I roll my eyes.

It seems to take an eternity and I hear Lucy and Annie bickering in the background.

"_Can you just be more gracious to your sister?_" Annie sounds like she's fuming also. "_Just for the last night Mary is going to be here_…_just be civil to your own sister_…_if that's too much for you, you can just stay in your room!_"

Mary and Lucy were bickering non-stop during the rest of the meal this afternoon; I know Lucy's still mad about it.

"_Great, punish me for Mary being so rude!_" Lucy yells back. "_Pamper Mary and ignore the rest of us, including me and Dad, then blame us when I'm not happy about it_…_!_"

"Hi, Martin!" Ruthie finally is on the phone.

"Hi, Ruthie…just wanted to say hi…see how you're doing with Lucy, Mary, and Annie's mess going on," I greet.

"Oooomph…" Ruthie sighs. "After you and Sandy went home, Lucy and Mary still were fighting…Mary stormed upstairs and slammed the door. So Mom started yelling at Lucy and Dad…and Lucy yelled back…so Mom and Lucy have been fighting like this non-stop."

"Sandy and I fought also when we got home," I say. "Did you see how Simon was all over her and my sons?"

"Yeah…I wonder if Simon wishes your boys really were his," Ruthie laughs.

"If I hadn't been there, Simon would have started an affair with Sandy," I say. "He just doesn't know when to stop…no sense of boundaries…"

"He sure hightailed it out of there fast once you and Sandy left," Ruthie tells me.

"He went back upstate to his apartment?" I ask. "Just left the house right then and there?"

"Yep…he made some lame excuse about being busy as usual…Mom tried to get him to stay the night, but he just brushed her off and took off with barely two words to me…I thought I used to be important to him, but now he hardly notices me at all anymore…he's so wrapped up in his career and all these friends up there I know nothing about…"

"What a weasel," I mutter.

"Tell me about it…I've never been fully able to forgive him for running off to college so early almost before I had a chance to say goodbye…and once he got to college, he seldom came home and the rare times he did, he'd talk about all these people and places I couldn't relate to…and he was bored with whatever I had to say as if he'd grown too good for me…I'm so glad you came along just then…I had no one once Simon basically ditched me…it makes me mad that he pays more attention to Sandy than to me these days…"

"I'm glad I came also…you were always so fun to be with…I'm glad I could be there for you," I tell her.

"I'll never forget how you were there for me when Vince dumped me back in ninth grade," Ruthie says softly. "I don't think I would have gotten through that without you…"

"I'm glad I could be there," I tell her.

I remember how Vince just ditched her in the café in downtown Glen Oak in public and she'd run out of the café, very upset, screaming and crying. Kevin had been there and had to drive her home because she was too upset to get herself home. She'd spent hours crying over Vince. I'd held her part of the time and debated on strangling Vince in his sleep.

"Hey, are you free Friday night?" Ruthie asks.

"I could be," I say, wondering what she has in mind.

"Just for old times sake…let's meet for coffee at this little café I know of in the outskirts of Glen Oak," she proposes. "You can tell Sandy you have to study at the library for an exam or something."

"What about your parents…won't they question where you're going?"

"I'll think of something to tell them," Ruthie says.

"What about Kaylee?" I ask.

"My parents will watch her…" Ruthie placates me. "Please…I know we see each other all the time here, but there's no privacy with my parents and Lucy hovering and the kids underfoot…you and I can be alone and talk privately without anyone listening or butting in."

"Sure…" I agree. "Just think up something foolproof to tell your parents…don't let them follow us or anything."

"I won't," Ruthie says. "Just come pick me up at seven on Friday night."

"Okay…see you then…goodnight, Ruthie."

"Goodnight, Martin," she says before we disconnect.

I go to bed late long after Sandy's asleep. I lie there a while, glad that Ruthie and I will get alone time once again. I'm glad I have Ruthie to talk to and even complain to and I know she needs me because I know things aren't easy for her at home either.

I don't think Annie or Eric have ever really forgiven her for having premarital sex or for having a baby out of wedlock. I mean, they speak to Ruthie cordially and all, but I can tell she's let them down big-time and I don't think they will ever get over that.

It's kind of like my dad…I wonder if he's really forgiven me for my mistake with Sandy…but at least I stuck around and married Sandy and am there for my sons, unlike that scum Mac who just took off on Ruthie and has nothing more to do with her or his daughter. It's something I can take satisfaction in.


	3. Chapter 3

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

3

Ruthie's outside waiting for me when I pull up on Alder Drive Friday evening. We've agreed to meet at the other end of the street, so her parents or Lucy don't look out the window and see my car and get suspicious or even just curious and come out and start asking me a lot of questions.

"Hi," Ruthie climbs in and I pull away.

"Hi, Ruthie…your week went all right?"

Ruthie shrugs. I try to get to the edge roads where we are less likely to be seen by people who know us. Glen Oak is a small town full of gossips looking for drama and attention.

"Your parents grill you or anything?" I ask.

"A little…I told them I was going to a parenting seminar," Ruthie says. "Mom is always criticizing how I raise Kaylee anyway and tells me I need to learn to be a 'proper' mother…so it made her happy that I told her about the 'parenting seminar' so she'd think I was this repentant daughter atoning for her 'sins'."

Ruthie rolls her eyes and I laugh. We both shake our heads. Parents. I'd told Dad and Sandy that I was doing extra studying in the all-night library at the community college, so they wouldn't ask questions.

"Mom's never really going to forgive me," Ruthie says, leaning on me. "She claims to have and puts on this show of nurturing around others, but she's always making little comments criticizing me and how I'm dealing with my daughter…and Kaylee cries too much…I still can't change her, so either Mom or Lucy have to do it."

"My dad sometimes criticizes the way I deal with Sandy," I tell her. "After the cookout, he had the nerve to imply that it was my fault that Sandy's not a warm person."

"The boys also are wild…they tease Kaylee and Kaylee cries, then Mom comes and yells at me as if it's my fault…she seems to think it's my job to discipline Sam and David…the other day when she blamed me for Sam dangling Kaylee over the railing, I tried to tell her that the boys are hers, so she's the one who needs to discipline them, she started screaming at me that she has 'too much' to do around the house…" Ruthie sighs gustily.

"But basically all she does is coddle Lucy and run around buying all these supplies for Lucy's home schooling stuff with Savannah and cook dinner…she also dotes on Lucy's little brats as if they're precious little dolls…I think it's because they're Lucy's and we all know Lucy can do no wrong in Mom and Dad's eyes."

"Yeah, I notice they seem to fawn over Lucy too much," I agree as we pull into the restaurant, a little place in the boondocks of Glen Oak. There's a lake nearby and a group of little shops close by, but not much else. The restaurant is the largest building there and it sits like a queen among shorter little subjects.

We go in and are seated quickly. Neither one of us drinks, so order an appetizer of spare ribs and a bottle of club soda to split between us.

"Cheers…for old times sake…" I lift my glass and Ruthie and I clink and we sip.

The tables are lit by candlelight and throw yellowish shadows all over. Ruthie's hazel eyes glow in the light and gleam off her curls. She's smiling and I can't help smiling back. I'd forgotten how gorgeous she is. In high school, guys were almost constantly asking her out. And she was a good flirt and socially smooth with them.

For this meal that we order to split between us, I erase everything else from my mind. I pretend Ruthie and I are the only two people in the world…I imagine Dad, Sandy, Aaron, Michael don't exist…I even imagine life without Ruthie's family…I just pretend for this night that it's just the two of us and we're on the remote tropical island we'd been dreaming about.

"I'm picturing it being just you and me," Ruthie says as we begin eating. "No Mom and Dad, no Lucy and her brats, no Sam or David, no Kaylee underfoot squalling for attention…in my ideal world, not even Matt, Mary, or Simon exist…it's just you and me…"

I laugh. "I was thinking the exact same thing." We both laugh.

"We have lots in common, don't we?" Ruthie says.

"We do."

"Including families that don't get off our backs," Ruthie makes a face.

"And kids we didn't plan," I add.

"Lives we didn't choose, but that others thrust in our faces, so we had to accept," Ruthie groans.

"I'm glad we can escape once in a while," I say. "Thank goodness I get along with your folks, so they don't try to keep me away or anything."

"Yeah…they like you better than me," Ruthie says wistfully. "Mom especially is always raving how wonderful you are."

"I wish my mom had been like her…" I say. "I wish Dad was as accepting of me as Eric is."

"What do you remember of your mom?" Ruthie asks. "I thought you'd been close to her."

I think a minute, but decide not to tell her the sordid truth about my mom…she's not the best at keeping family secrets and might spill the beans by accident to the others…something I don't want the rest of the Camdens to find out.

"We were pretty close…" I lie. "It was hard watching her die…I was a kid, so my memories are fuzzy…she used to read to me as a little kid…play with me…"

Mom did occasionally read to me when I was very little, but by the time I started school, she was getting more and more lost in drugs and would stay out all night. My dad often worked late and sometimes traveled for the Marines, so often my aunt or a babysitter stayed with me. I'd hated staying with my aunt; she was so picky about everything.

I remember when Mom OD'd and was found in a basement of a drug dealer group, Dad had withdrawn for months and barely acknowledged my existence. He and Mom's marriage had gone down the toilet by that time, but like Annie and Eric, they didn't believe in divorce.

It's ironic that Mom also was a Christian like the Camdens, but she sure didn't live up to the morals of Christianity. Dad tried to hide this from me and even lied sometimes, but I think Mom also slept with other men. She was almost as sleazy as Simon. Maybe that's why Simon repulses me so much…he reminds me of Mom too much…I hope Simon never has kids.

I don't hint to Ruthie about any of this; I just tell her a substitute story of Mom loving me and then getting sick with cancer and of fictional hospital stays and tales me of going to visit her, then tell Ruthie that I held her hand and said goodbye.

"That's too bad…" Ruthie says, holding my hand. "You must miss her still."

"I do," I say. "Dad does also, but doesn't really talk about it much…he keeps things to himself….you know, Marine style."

Ruthie laughs. "Like my Grandpa, the Colonel."

I'd met Ruthie's paternal grandfather once and he's a true Marine and always talks in a lot of military jargon. He stands stiff as a poker and has white hair. I'm glad he's not my grandfather…my dad's enough to deal with.

Ruthie and I fall back into our regular patterns. I'd forgotten how much I missed her. I can tell she missed me also since I got tied down with Sandy and my sons and she got tied down with Kaylee.

We eat and talk for several hours. By ten, it's getting late and I don't want her parents to wonder where she is, so I pay the check with my credit card and we get going on home. I drop her off a block from her house.

"G'night, Martin…" Ruthie kisses me on the cheek. "Let's do this again soon."

"Yeah, let's…" I agree. "We can keep each other sane when our families get on our nerves too much…'night, Ruthie."

I watch her go into her house and wait until she's inside before driving back home myself. I let myself in quietly. Thank goodness my dad's upstairs in bed and doesn't seem to hear me.

I see Sandy and the boys are in bed with the lights out, so I breathe a sigh of relief. I get into the white T-shirt and boxer shorts I wear to bed and climb in quietly.

"Get much studying done?" Sandy's voice startles me.

"Whua!" I nearly fall out of bed. "I thought you were asleep!"

"Nope," Sandy turns over. "How're your classes going?"

"Great…just great," I say. "Got an essay nearly done."

"Oh…what's the essay on?"

"Just basic English one oh one…the usual," I lie.

I turn over and hope she won't start grilling me on every detail of my "studying."

"Goodnight, Sandy," I say and close my eyes as if I'm drifting off to sleep.

I actually don't sleep for several hours. Fortunately, Sandy falls quiet and I assume she's back asleep a while later. I lie awake and think about my evening with Ruthie.

I just took her out to get her away from all that's going on at home, so Sandy shouldn't be too upset if she knew. But just the same, I'd rather she not know because then she'd get the wrong idea.

Ruthie only has me…everyone else is either critical of her or has abandoned her. So I'm just helping out a friend in need. My dad and Annie and Eric approve of helping out people in need, especially since Eric does it at the church for his living.

I spend a lot of time thinking about Ruthie all weekend, but am careful not to let Sandy or Dad see me spacing out lest they wonder what I'm daydreaming about.

Thank goodness I have a cell phone of my own that I don't share with anyone and Ruthie has one, so we're able to call each other without anyone else hearing our message. However, we have to be careful not to be within earshot of anyone else.

I go over for Sunday dinner again, but of course with the Camden clan there, it's not easy for Ruthie and me to have any privacy. It's Tuesday night when I hear from Ruthie; she leaves me a voice mail. I wait until Sandy is in the shower and my dad is busy before I listen.

"_Hey, Martin…it's me. I just got into another fight with Mom…she's really getting on my nerves lately. That woman thinks everything is my fault…and she gets Lucy to join her in condemning me…Kaylee threw up several times after dinner…she just gushed all this gross stuff out…I was upstairs and Mom's in the nursery…she starts yelling at me to 'get over here'…I come over there and she yells at me about my daughter's barfing as if it's my fault…I tried to tell her, but she interrupts me and tells me that kids don't barf nonstop as if she's the world expert on kids_…" Ruthie snorts.

"_She then orders me to clean up the mess like I'm her personal maid or something…I take a rag and try to clean up the gross mess, but it just stains the crib bed and wall, so Mom jerks the rag out of my hand and tells me I'm making a bigger mess, so I just left…I stormed out of the house…and of course, Lucy was on the stairs eavesdropping and starts this lecture on 'respecting' Mom, but I just told her to shove it and left the house…I'm just walking around…are you busy? Is Sandy or your dad around…if they're not, can you come out of your house and meet me down the block? I really need to get away for a while_." She clicks off.

I look around, then leave Sandy a note, telling her I've gone for a drive. I figure if she tries to grill me, tell her I needed some air or something. It's not as if she and Dad have to know every aspect of my life anyway. As Ruthie told Lucy, they can shove it if they do. So I leave and drive up the block.

The late September night is cool and breezy. At first, I don't see anyone, but then I see Ruthie emerge from behind a bush. I open the door to let her in.

"Martin, you're a lifesaver," Ruthie gushes, giving me a little hug. I smile at her and hug back a little.

"Anytime," I say, driving down the street "Want to go for coffee?".

"Yeah…"

We end up driving to a part of Glen Oak near the pool hall and promenade, but to a little salad bar that's new and have our coffee.

"I wish I could just move out of there," Ruthie moans. "Mom and Lucy think it's my fault that Kaylee cries so much…Kaylee herself drives me crazy…she's learning how to walk and when I'm around and Mom and Lucy aren't fawning over her, she comes over and rubs me and holds up her hands, wanting me to pick her up all the time….she's so clingy…the other day, I just told her to play with Rick or something when she clung to me and she started bawling really loud…Mom got on my case for that."

"How about your dad?" I ask.

"He's not much help; he's Mom's little yes-man when it comes to the kids," Ruthie says in disgust. "And he's always on the phone anyway…this afternoon he was trying to set up another job for Simon…he's just wasting his time there…Simon doesn't return his calls…Simon doesn't call me either…it's like he wants to forget I exist...and he doesn't call Mom either, which makes Mom complain nonstop about that…she also complains about Matt…"

"Annie's always been a complainer…she has a lot on her plate also," I say.

"I do too…" Ruthie insists. "But Mom and Lucy act like I don't have any feelings…Sam and David pull crap also and bicker nonstop…I sometimes get blamed for stuff they pull, especially with Kaylee…and Dad is just wasting his time trying to set Simon up instead of seeing what's going on around the house and giving me some support…."

"I wish my dad were more like Eric," I say. "But he just stuck me in this dinky mailroom job…meanwhile, Simon's dad is trying to get him something great…you'd think Simon would appreciate that…maybe you could try getting your dad alone and talking to him about either getting me something better or paying more attention to you and just give up with Simon."

"I can try…" Ruthie sighs. "Simon's always had this thing of being independent…away from us as if we're a hazard to his health or something…and I wish he would take Mom's advice and let her help him find a doctor who can do something about that asthma of his so Mom can stop complaining about it."

"Simon's a twit," I say in annoyance. "Maybe in a few years, when he's still scraping by in those crap temp jobs, he'll regret ignoring Eric's help…just what is wrong with him?"

"Messed up head," Ruthie quips and we laugh loudly, causing several diners to turn and look at us.

"Maybe he really is secretly adopted and his birth parents were mental cases and he inherited that from them," I suggest.

"Probably," Ruthie agrees. She sips her drink. "I often did wonder why he looks different from the rest of us…I didn't really notice until I was around seven or so, but I used to think he had a strange nose and face…and I've always wondered where he got the freckles…no one else, including my grandparents or my aunt Julie have freckles or his nose and lips."

"Maybe that also messed up his brain," I say. "Do you think he really could be…?"

"It's possible," Ruthie says. "After all, I was about six or seven when we found out that Mom had this secret past of doing drugs."

"Annie did drugs?" I say, my blue eyes widening in surprise.

"Yep," Ruthie confirms. "I was about six…Simon was eleven…it came out when Dad thought Matt had drugs…Matt and Dad were always butting heads big-time as it was…they're barely civil to each other today…Matt was seventeen and Dad caught him with a joint…" Ruthie takes a sip of her drink.

"Matt and Dad got into a huge screaming match and Mom joined in and it came out that Mom had done drugs as a teenager and had gotten into a lot of trouble…Matt ran out of the house…Simon was really upset because he practically worshipped Matt…I tried to ask Simon if he knew what drugs were or something, but Simon just was too mad and snapped at me to go to sleep…" Ruthie sits back, smiling faintly at the memory.

"Simon and you shared a room?" I ask.

"Yeah…Simon slept on the top bunk and I was on the bottom…I didn't ask Simon anything else, but heard him crying, trying not to let me hear him…but I knew he was crying over Matt…"

I laugh. "That must have been something, sharing a room with a brother who was a basket case."

"Yeah…actually it was kind of fun," Ruthie says. "Simon spooked really easy…I used to be able to scare him by telling stories of ghosts lurking in the house…Simon would try to hide it, but he'd be scared…he was fun to tease…I remember once I teased him about his then girlfriend, I think her name was Deenie or Dana or something…he tried to chase me, but I went into the closet and held the door shut…he couldn't get it open, so he counted to ten, but still couldn't get me to open it, so he gave up and went back to his bed…that was funny."

"I've always wondered what it's like to have siblings," I say.

"Trust me, it's not all it's cracked up to be…especially when they take off on you…I used to be closest to Simon, even though he was a wuss…but he just moved away and basically ignores me most of the time…even when he came home from college, we'd drifted so far apart…he was having sex with all these girls…"

"That's so gross," I say.

"Yeah…hey didn't you once confront him about it?"

"Yeah…he came to the garage apartment to shower…I tried to tell him that what he was doing was wrong, but he was rude…bit back some stupid retort about 'everyone' doing it…he disgusts me to no end…"

"Yeah…" Ruthie nods. "It sure didn't do him any good…he went right back to sleeping around…he started dating and having sex with that awful Rose girl…and I think they still call each other…she was horrible…both Lucy and I hated her…even Mom hated her for a while until she charmed her way with Mom…"

"I can imagine Simon going for that type…" I say.

"Premarital sex aside, it was like Simon was in with this group of people I never met and had nothing in common with…all these weird artistic types and he'd be full of talk about all this stuff that had nothing to do with Glen Oak and that I couldn't relate to…instead of toning down the intellectual film-artist talk and showing some interest in what was happening to me, he just closed me out and started ignoring me."

"I think I remember that…I'd just started living there…I wondered why you and Simon just didn't seem to click…"

"And Lucy was another case in herself…she'd just had Savannah and was too busy showing herself off as her devoted mommy…she even drove Mom crazy sometimes…she also basically ignored me…she was always parading Savannah in front of all these neighbors she'd have drop by…it got on Mom and my nerves…I think even Kevin got sick of it…that's when they started to grow apart…and Lucy expected Mom or me to do the dirty work of taking care of Savannah while she got the glory of being the serene mommy…and she's not even that great a mom anyway…Lucy always has to have Mom or Dad help her…"

"I notice…isn't Eric helping with the home schooling?" I ask.

"Yeah…Lucy's so scatterbrained that Dad has to organize everything for her…and Dad, besides trying to find Simon work, is busy home schooling the boys…and those boys are already out of control brats as it is…"

"Yeah…the other day when I was calling you, Sam picked up, then hung up on me twice."

"Sam plays jerky games like that…" Ruthie nods. "And David goes along with Sam or makes gross belching noises when others are talking…and they take my stuff without asking and write all over it…and they always make stupid snarky comments at me and ask if I've had sex again…as if it's any of their business."

It's getting late, so we pay and head out to the car. We sit for a few minutes, talking some more, then lean close. A light rain is falling…just a drizzle, but enough to feel cozy inside the car.

I drive back slowly while Ruthie leans on me. I stop at the place a block away from her house. I don't want to open the door and I can tell she doesn't want to leave the car just yet.

"I wish I didn't have to go out in the rain…" Ruthie says softly.

"So, let's sit here a few minutes," I suggest. "We still have time…think things have settled down in there?"

"Probably not," Ruthie says. "Mom's probably complaining to Dad about me being supposedly 'disrespectful'…she always runs to Dad when she and I get into these fights…I guess she wants to make sure Dad sides with her….Lucy does the same thing…those two are so much alike."

I nod. They are…Annie and Lucy…they even have the same round, small blue eyes and thin lips and thin, arched brows. They even have the same light, smooth complexions. I suspect they even drive Eric crazy sometimes, although Eric does favor Lucy the most of all the Camden siblings.

I don't know exactly how long we sit, but we wind up lying down. Eric comes out at one point. I thank God my car is out of sight under a bunch of trees. He gets in his car and drives off somewhere. I see Annie poke her head out a window at one point, but she doesn't stay at the window long.

"I think we should go someplace where we won't be seen for a while, " I suggest, suspecting that Eric may be looking for Ruthie.

"Yeah…" she agrees.

We end up driving to a lover's lane where teens often hang out to make out and for privacy. It's raining a bit harder, so Ruthie and I stay put, comfortable with each other.

We lie close in the back seat of the car, not wanting to part…I wonder if Sandy's wondering where I am, but realize I don't really care.

Neither Ruthie or I care if Annie's having a fit right now or if Eric's cruising around hunting for Ruthie…I know he won't come here looking.

We kiss more deeply as we listen to the rain. No one can see us and we're the only car up here on a Tuesday night…our kisses become closer until we're pressed closer…and closer…

_A/N_: How's that for cliffy? Things will really get dangerous and dramatic in the next few chapters…as almost anything Marthie does…hold on to your hats and enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

4

I open my eyes to the sun glaring in the window. At first, I wonder why I'm crammed in this small space and wonder why Sandy's hair is all over my face.

Sitting up, I realize that I am not at home, but in my car and it's not Sandy with me, but Ruthie. I remember now falling asleep last night in the car after I picked up Ruthie and we had coffee, and then sat in the car on the lover's lane, watching the rain and kissing…and getting closer.

"Wha…?" I look around. Ruthie sits up also, yawning loudly, her mouth wide open. I catch a whiff of her breath in my face and have to lean away to keep the disgusting smell out of my face.

"What time is it?" Ruthie mumbles, sitting up, her curly hair all over the place. She tries to smooth the mess down with her hand as she pushes hair out of her face.

"TEN-FORTY!" I bellow when I see the clock. That means I'm over two hours late for work.

"THAT LAAAATE!" Ruthie shrieks. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I just woke up too!" I exclaim. "I was supposed to be at work two hours ago! The boss and Dad are in cahoots…Fred's gonna mention this to Dad, who's gonna get on my case…"

"Mom and Dad are going to kill me!" Ruthie screams. "You'd better think up some explanation for me when you take me home…"

"I have to explain you to your parents?" I say indignantly. "Unless I'm crazy and imagining this, you were the one who called me and wanted me to take you away…"

"And you were the one who suggested coming up here in the first place to make out!" Ruthie snarls. "Just take me home and drop me off in that same block down the street…"

"Sure…" I snap, starting the car. "And then I'll go in there and hope Fred doesn't fire me and rat me out to Dad…"

"I'm sure he won't fire you…" Ruthie starts.

"Maybe not, but he'll rat to my dad and Dad'll get after me…like I need him on my back even more…"

I drive Ruthie to the block we were last night.

"What am I going to tell my parents?" Ruthie asks as if I should know.

"I don't know…you'll think up some lie…just get out of the car!" I try to straighten my hair in the mirror with limited success. Good thing my work doesn't require dressing up…I just hope my jeans and oxford shirt aren't too wrinkled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruthie demands.

"Go!" I open the car door and point.

Ruthie slowly goes. Once she's clear of the car, I take off, peeling rubber. Out of the rear view mirror, I see her still standing there glaring at my car.

I don't make it to work until quarter after eleven. I go in the back door and try to go in through the docking bay quietly with the deliveries. Maybe if I just sneak in and just start my work, my boss won't notice that I'm so late and I can pretend I've been there all along.

Good thing most mailrooms don't have the old-fashioned clock-ins anymore. We have a small computer where we just type in the hours we work. I can just put eight-thirty a bit later on, so the boss, Fred, doesn't know.

I slink in, head toward our worktable where mail piles high, and the others are working on their piles. I almost make it, but Fred's voice barks, "Just getting here, Brewer?"

"Crrraap…" I hiss under my breath as Fred moves in front of me and glares up at me. I am so not in the mood for this today.

I contemplate telling him I was in the bathroom for a while, but know he won't buy that…I'm also annoyed because it seems like he's always waiting for me to mess up, so he can pounce.

"Yeah…car trouble…" I say. It's not a complete lie. I had car trouble, but not the standard kind.

"And since I know you have a cell, I guess you're going to tell me it didn't work, so you couldn't call?" Fred grills.

I shrug, just wanting him off my back.

"Third time in two weeks, Brewer," Fred says. "Not to mention the work you dumped back on two co-workers' desks twice in a row…"

"I already explained…"

"I know your excuses," Fred says rudely. "That's two and three quarters hours AWOL for you…now get started." He points over to my pile as if I'm his personal slave.

I'm tempted to tell him to shove it up his fat butt, but just heave a sigh and head over to start work. I get so sick of Fred and his nitpicking. The only reason I stay in this crap job is that I need the money; Dad's not the most generous with his cash, despite his having plenty of it.

When Sandy asks me where I've been after work, I tell her I was studying in the reading room and it got late, so I fell asleep on a bench.

"I'm surprised a security person didn't wake you up," she says as we sit down in front of the TV to catch the news and eat dinner. The boys have already eaten and are in the playpen across the room playing quietly.

"It's a late night room…students pull all-nighters there all the time and fall asleep on the benches." I say.

We watch in silence for about twenty minutes, then Sandy says quietly, "Eric came over here last night looking for Ruthie…I was in the kitchen getting a drink…I heard Eric and your dad talking in the living room…Eric said Ruthie had run out of the house after an argument with her mom…Ruthie's daughter was really sick last night and Ruthie was just ignoring her…Annie tried to help, but Ruthie was really nasty to her…told her mom to shut up, stormed out of the house and didn't come back last night…did she call you?"

"No," I lie.

"That's surprising…" Sandy mutters.

"Why?" I ask.

"She usually uses you as her sounding board when she gets into fights with her family…I think she still wants you…and you don't exactly discourage her…"

"She has her daughter she's busy with," I say edgily. "I doubt she has time for some affair with me…and I have work and school, not to mention dealing with you, the boys and my dad all the time…"

"So being with your own family is some chore?" she demands, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"I never said that," I snap. "Hey, don't put words in my mouth…I don't need that crap from you…I had a bad day at work, so lay off."

Sandy says nothing, but gets up suddenly.

"Hey, where're you going?" I ask.

She doesn't answer me, but just stalks upstairs, ignoring me.

"Crrrrud…" I pick up a tennis racket and hurl it behind the couch. It hits the wall and falls to the floor with a loud clatter. It doesn't make me feel any better.

I wait a week before calling Ruthie again or going over. I hope Ruthie thought up a good story for them. And I hope Annie's calmed down also.

It's Ruthie who calls me…I'm at work that Friday and head out to the hallway to pick up when I see Ruthie's number flash up. I'm about to start my work break anyway, so Fred shouldn't get on my case now. I go over to a private half-closet down the hall anyway just in case Fred comes nitpicking.

"Hey, Ruthie…things calmed down over there?" I ask.

"Sort of…Kaylee got over whatever she had…but Mom's still eagle-eyeing me…I've been going out some nights to take a walk and tell them I'm in that parenting class…" Ruthie sighs.

"Smart move…are you free tonight or Saturday?" I really want to see her again. I need somebody I can sound off to…Dad, Sandy and the boys hardly qualify.

"I can get away Friday night…Mom and Dad think I have the class Monday and Friday nights," Ruthie tells me. "But let's not fall asleep in the car again…Mom threatened to ground me after last time…I told her I'd taken the wrong bus and got lost on the other side of town…I don't know if she believed me."

"Well, I still have my job…but Fred got on my case…honestly, he acts as if I'm the biggest screw-up in history…he's always hovering as if he's just waiting for me to mess up big time, so he can just jump on me even more…yesterday, he stood by and glared at me over some misplaced carrier bundles…all's I did was put them on a side table to deal with later…and Sandy's been giving me the silent treatment all week…"

"That's rough," Ruthie sympathizes. Ruthie really gets me and I get her.

"Tell me about it," I roll my eyes. "Not to mention Dad thinks I'm a lousy father…"

"Like Mom and Lucy with me," Ruthie puts in. "According to them, I can't do anything right with my daughter…Kaylee cries all the time, so Mom rushes to comfort her and glares at me as if it's my fault that she's crying…and Savannah asks when Simon's coming back…"

Ruthie and I laugh at that last one.

"Savannah asked about Simon?' I ask.

"Yeah…Simon falls all over the kids the rare times he's home…I don't know why the kids take to him…even Kaylee once cuddled in his lap last year as if he were her dad or something…she's never done that with me…I really don't know what's wrong with those kids…"

"They're still young," I say. "Hey, maybe next time Savannah asks about Simon, you could tell her Simon went back to his home planet of dog-faced aliens."

Ruthie really laughs at that one. "That's a good one…and I can say he was secretly adopted by humans and Mom and Dad took him in for tax deduction…and his home planet placed him here on Earth because he was an experiment gone horribly wrong…"

"Which would explain his mental problems and his weird, deformed face," I snort. We laugh another minute. Once we calm down again, I say, "You remember the cookout back on Labor Day weekend?"

"Yeah…"

"Simon fawned over my boys like he was their dad or something, so you're not alone," I tell her. "I really don't understand how he's had all this sex, gone through more girlfriends than Don Juan, fawns over our kids as if they were his own, yet doesn't marry and hasn't had any kids…I mean the guy's twenty-four years old…if he loves kids that bad, he needs to get a life of his own, find a girlfriend, marry, and have his own kids instead of worming in on ours."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ruthie says. "Mom and Dad want him to get married too…they're afraid he'll have sex again and get some girl pregnant and have an illegitimate baby…as if we need another illegitimate birth in this family…"

"Yeah…" I say. "But in a way, I hope he doesn't have kids…God knows what kind of mental problems he'd pass on to them…not to mention we have no idea what kind of woman he'd choose as a wife…she might be as big of a nutcase as Simon…"

Ruthie laughs again. "Like we need a bunch of mini-Simons running around in this world…puleeeze…there's enough immorality and screwed-up people in the world as it is…I know since I live with Lucy and her brats, not to mention Sam and David…those people have their own absurdity also…God, what did I ever do to end up in a messed-up family like mine?"

"Tough question…" I then see the time on the hall clock. "Oh, crap! Ruthie, I gotta go…I've been gone two hours…Fred's gonna kill me if he sees I'm missing…bye…" I click off.

I stand up, emerge and head back. But I don't rush in. I have to find a way to avoid being seen by Fred, so he won't notice I was gone for that long. We only get one hour for lunch and two fifteen-minute breaks per day.

I ease the door open a crack. Good, no Fred in sight. I scamper in on tip toes and sneak past his cubicle and am relieved that he doesn't appear to be in his cubicle. Good. I go over to my table and work on sorting my stack of mail.

"Heyyyy, Brewer!" a co-worker, Frances Sturge is glaring at me. "Where were you? You were supposed to relieve me an hour ago!"

"Oops…" I shrug. "I…forgot the time…"

"There're CLOCKS all over this place, including the bathrooms and lounges!" Frances keeps it up, her already loud voice getting louder. She comes closer, continuing to glare at me, her hands on her fat hips. Her lips, almost as huge as Simon's, curls into a sneer. "I ended up waiting an extra half hour for my lunch until Philippa came and took your place…and there were customers who needed help…"

"So you got your break!" I snap, annoyed at her carping. "Sorry you had to wait an agonizingly long half hour! Look, I'm sorry and didn't starve to death, so let's just forget it, okay?"

"Not okay," Jed Brinks adds from the other side of my table. "He also stood me up on my break last week too, Fran."

"Hey, butt out!" I glare at Jed. "I'm dealing with enough without you two getting on my case!"

"And we're dealing with enough from you, Brewer," Fred's voice butts in. I whirl to see him standing there, adding his glare at me.

"Ohh, uouooommmmmmhhhhh…" I heave a grunt. Just my luck. Fred seems to have heard everything. "Look, Fred, I've apologized…"

"And done it again and again…several times in the last few weeks…failed to cover your co-workers and have been consistently late for work, not to mention your deplorable attitude…"

"I'm sorry about all that," I try to placate him. "It's just that I have two sons and a wife who complains and my dad…"

"Save your justifications," Fred snaps. "See me Monday morning at nine for a meeting in the main office." With that, he turns and goes into his cubicle, closing the door and leaving me speechless with fury.

After standing there for a while and glaring at his door, I realize that Frances is back at her table. She and Jed are continuing their work as if it's okay that they just got me into trouble. I glare at both of their backs, then heave a gusty sigh and slam around my table continuing my work. That's the trouble with jobs like this…it's filled with little rats waiting to get me into trouble. I can't wait to see Ruthie tonight.

* * *

We end up eating at a seafood place in the next town over that night. It's a drizzly early October night. I pick Ruthie up down the block from the parsonage and drive us over. I tell her about my two traitorous co-workers and about Fred's jumping on my back again.

"…so he wants me in this meeting Monday," I conclude with a gusty sigh.

"Yuck," Ruthie makes a face. "Fred does sound awful. If it makes you feel better, Mom's on my back again…this time the boys were fighting and teasing Kaylee…Kaylee starts crying and runs over to Lucy who's going over some kind of math sheet with Savannah…I'm in my room trying to get some peace and quiet….Lucy yells at me to come get my daughter…I tell her to handle it herself since she thinks she's a better mother than me…"Ruthie rolls her eyes.

"Lucy carries Kaylee upstairs and plops her on my bed and lectures me that I'm Kaylee's mom as if I don't know…I'm so sick of Lucy's self-righteousness, so I tell her off…I tell her since when is it her place to tell me how to raise my daughter…Savannah and Rick come up and are standing at the door watching us…" Ruthie takes a sip of water.

"I tell them to get lost and they start crying too…Lucy yells at me not to tell her brats what to do, how dare I speak to them 'like that,' yada, yada…Mom comes up and yells at me as if it's my fault as usual…Mom and Lucy start talking about me as if I'm not there…thank God I was about to leave, so I just left…all three of those kids were still crying when I left…"

"Those kids sound like a handful," I say.

"Tell me about it…" Ruthie rolls her eyes again. "Mom and Dad spoil Lucy rotten…Lucy's always been so spoiled…Mom and Dad let her get away with all kinds of crap growing up."

Our order arrives then and we eat. It's so nice to get away from people and problems at home, especially with somebody as special as Ruthie.

Ruthie and I talk between eating about some other things we're dealing with. I never really realized how beautiful she is…I know now I should have gone with her when I had the chance…before I fell into the trap with Sandy. Before my senior year in high school and especially before I met Sandy, my life was simple and happy.

Those two years I lived with the Camdens were the happiest years of my life…Savannah had been just a baby then, so she wasn't too much of a bother…Sam and David were still too little to be much trouble either.

It was mostly Annie, Eric, Kevin, Lucy, and Ruthie…and I'd spent so many happy hours with Ruthie. I usually drove her to and from school once I got my driver's license and we were able to do a lot of talking then.

I could tell her about my feelings, hopes, and about my dad being in Iraq…she could tell me about her own issues…she didn't make other friends too easily, especially with other girls. Lots of boys asked her out, but she really wasn't interested in most of them and the ones she was interested in, her parents usually didn't approve of. The few she did hook up with like Vince and Mac ended up eventually dumping her.

I'd reassure her that she was beautiful and would one day find a guy who appreciated her beauty…but she never really was convinced that she'd ever find a good boyfriend.

And she'd confide in me about how she never really was close to any of her siblings any more…she'd been close to Simon when they were younger, but of course Simon's mental problems took over and ruined that relationship. Then Simon took off for college and has basically brushed Ruthie off.

And Lucy and Mary had always been wrapped up in their teen girl exploits in their high school years, and then Marry got into all that trouble and was shipped off. Lucy by then was going from one boyfriend to another and hardly paid any attention to Ruthie. She found Kevin shortly after and wrapped her life around Kevin and now around her kids.

When Matt lived at home, he did sometimes do things with Ruthie, but she was still little when he took off and eventually moved to New York and met Sarah. Now Matt almost never calls or comes home, never has time for Ruthie; he revolves his life around New York, his medical career, Sarah and their twins.

And Sam and David are hardly companions; they have each other and they're both obnoxious anyway. I'm glad they're not my brothers. So, Ruthie just has me.

After we eat, I suggest we head to a dance club I'd heard about that's not to far away from here and she takes me up on it to my pleasure.

""You're just about the only real friend I've ever had," Ruthie tells me as we start dancing to a moderate jazzy beat.

"I'm glad I could be that friend…" I smile and she smiles back.

"You've always been there for me in a way no one else has," Ruthie says. "You build me up and keep me on my feet."

"It's good to know," I say. I'm flattered that she thinks so highly of me. I know Annie, Lucy, and Eric also do, but it's nice that somebody closer to my age also does.

"You're one of those rare guys who won't run off on me…I know you'll always be there for me, no matter what," Ruthie continues over the music. "You didn't even let Sandy or your kids or even your dad ruin that for us…I love that about you…you don't let people get in your way or things sidetrack you from what's important."

"Thanks," I say, twirling her around. "I like that you're different from other girls…maybe that's why you had a hard time making friends with other girls in high school…you're special in a way that they're not…and this is despite you being stuck with a kid you never wanted and being stuck with girls like Lucy and Mary for sisters, not to mention dealing with Sam, David and your parents."

"I think that's why we're drawn to each other," Ruthie tells me. "We have something most people don't have…I could never talk to anyone else the way I talk to you…even when Simon and I were little, I never could relate to Simon the way I do with you…maybe Simon always had his problems from the time he was a baby, but they just surfaced when he got older…he was fun to tease and all, but he was just too wussy to do much with…and even as kids, he spent so much time moping and brooding."

She pulls a droopy, serious face in imitation of Simon. "_I'm thiiinnnkiiing_…" she mimics what Simon probably sounded like and I laugh.

She laughs also. "Even at eight, he'd do that…he looked like a morbid old man."

"Was he always so gaunt and skinny with those horrid eyebrows?" I ask.

"I think so…now that I remember even at eight, he always had those thick, bushy brows…and back then his hair was lighter, like a pale blond, so that made him look even weirder…pale blond hair with thick, dark eyebrows…"

"I thought so."

We dance another hour or so, and then decide to get going, so it doesn't get too late. The drizzle has stopped, but there's a chilly breeze in the October night, so I put my jacket around Ruthie as we get into my car.

"It sure is cold this year," Ruthie comments. "I hope this winter isn't too cold…I hate cold weather."

"Me too…that's part of why I didn't want to live in New York with my aunt…they have horrid winters there, especially in upstate New York."

"I wonder how anyone can stand living up north where it's cold for months at a time and they get all that snow…even when I was little and my family and I would go to the mountains and the couple of times we went to Buffalo…I hated all the cold, wet snow…I wonder how anyone can stand to live in that mess for weeks on end."

"I wonder too…I've heard that there are people who actually like the snow and cold."

"Yuck…" Ruthie makes a face. "Well, I'm praying we don't have a cold winter here this time….I wish I lived in Florida or Hawaii…it never gets cold in those places."

"Yeah, sometimes I wish I lived in any of those places also…sometimes I wished I lived someplace like Bali or the Cayman Islands…and you'd be with me and it'd be just the two of us…"

"Sounds great…" Ruthie agrees. "We really should one day take off…just leave…Lucy would be glad because then she could have Mom and Dad all to herself…"

"And Sandy wouldn't have me to whine to and complain…she could just complain to my dad or the boys because I'd be gone…"

"So you'd actually leave Sandy for me?" Ruthie asks. I nod, more sure of the possibility. I never loved Sandy anyway and never wanted those kids. It would actually be a favor to them.

"I'll find a way to earn money down there…since I'd then not have the kids or a wife tying me down, I could sign up for baseball and play again…and we'd be away from my dad and your parents, so they couldn't come screaming at us for 'avoiding' our 'responsibilities' and crud like that…"

"Wow, Martin, you're great!" Ruthie squeals. "I love you, I love you!" she kisses me and I chuckle and kiss her back, a warm, sweet kiss. Sandy's never kissed me like that.

We lie close and make loose plans of just getting away from it all. We get so close we wind up making love…it's not something either of us planned and it's quick and quiet. We don't even get fully undressed, being that we're in a car in a parking lot. We're not even panting hard as we sit up.

"Listen, if we do go through with this, we'll have to plan carefully," I say as I start to drive her home. "We can't do it haphazardly…my job barely pays enough for me to save anything, so I'll have to think up some good way to get a few hundred bucks from my dad…it'll cost money to fly someplace especially with the ridiculous prices of airline tickets these days…"

I turn into the freeway. "I'll have to get divorce papers from Sandy…make it a quick divorce…we can concentrate on getting where we want to go…I think we'll have to make it Florida or Hawaii…someplace in America so we don't have to mess around with passports or working papers."

"Hawaii," Ruthie says. "I've always liked especially Maui…I've heard it's very pretty and romantic there…once we get there, can we do a small wedding there?"

"Sure…" I brighten as I think of one more things. "I've actually heard baseball is popular in Hawaii and people play it year round there, so I could land something great really soon after we arrive there…and I'd always be employed, so I could support us…we'd get a little house or condo on the beach…we'd watch the sunsets every night."

"Wow…" Ruthie breathes. I can see her eyes light up also. The idea enchants her. "And we could take long walks along the beaches on your days off…just think, no messed-up family members dragging us down anymore…no more of Lucy's brats or Kaylee's crying and whimpering…no more Sam and David's crappy nonsense…and you'd be free from Sandy, your dad, and the boys…"

I sigh in relief at the mere concept. "We could start our lives over again…just you and me."

"Just you and me…Martin…let's not tell anyone just yet…let's wait until we get everything in place and you get the money from your dad…I'll see if I can wheedle money from my dad too…we'll need some money to tide us over once we get to Hawaii."

"Sure…then once we get everything in place, we can tell everyone together, then leave."

"We can do it in mid-November sometime," I propose. "That'll give us time to get everything together."

We kiss goodnights, and then I drop her off a block from her house and watch her go in.

* * *

I try to keep things routine over the next week, so no one, especially Sandy or my dad knows anything's up. Monday, Fred calls me into the upper offices, where the branch manager is waiting, but they don't fire me…they issue me two written reprimands…one for being late coming back and failing to cover…the other for loud misconduct.

"What?" I exclaim at that second one. "Frances and Jeb were the ones who started it! They were the ones being loud…"

"We're not talking about them…" the branch manager, Warren tells me in his gravely, low voice as he practically sneers at me. "We're here to discuss you….and is it is, your hold on this job is becoming more tenuous…so watch your step…concluded."

They both get up and usher me out of the office with me fuming. I go to my table, trying not to storm there and start work. Well, I'll only be here for another month or so if all goes well with Ruthie and my plans…I just hope I can think up a good reason to tell my dad why I need the money…I could tell him I need it for books or something for my classes.

So, for now, I wait until my lunch hour, sneak over to the office computer, the only two in the whole stinking place and e-mail two notes telling Jeb and Frances off, one for each of those jerks.

* * *

I go over to the Camdens for dinner again Sunday and the following week, take Ruthie out, mostly to dance clubs since we both like it a lot. Sometimes, we just go for coffee and a chat.

I luck out that Saturday because Lucy, Annie, the boys, and Eric go to a church convention and leave Ruthie stuck with the three little kids…and they'll be gone until almost midnight, so Ruthie invites me over.

I come at around seven, after the others leave. Ruthie makes us coffee and we go up to her bedroom. On the way, I see Savannah peering out of her bedroom. As we go to Ruthie's room, Savannah starts to follow us.

"Savannah…what did I tell you?" Ruthie demands, glaring at her.

"Are you in love with Martin?"

"That's none of your business!" Ruthie informs her. "Get back to your room and don't let me catch you spying on me again." She points. Savannah goes sullenly. But she still peers out the door after us until we disappear upstairs and close the door to her bedroom.

"Sorry about her…" Ruthie heaves a gusty sigh. "That kid is always trying to spy on me…she never minds her own business…maybe she's learning that from my parents…they don't know when to mind their business either."

We watch TV for a while, and then once again, make love under the sheets. We don't strip down this time either, in case, heaven forbid, Savannah or Kaylee should have the nerve to walk in on us. Ruthie walks me to the door later on as it gets late, so I can be gone before her parents and the others get back.

We kiss one last time in the living room before parting. Over her head, I catch a glimpse of Savannah in the kitchen, but this time, she's not spying on us; she's on the phone. I wonder who she's talking to.

"Deal…" she's saying, then whoever's on the other end apparently talks a little more. I try to see if I can hear the other side, but this phone is sound-proof, so I can't hear the other person at all.

"Okay…" Savannah says and she moves out of my line of sight and I hear her whisper something else. I strain to catch what it is, so I can get a hint of just who she's calling at this hour, but I can't. I hear the phone click and know she's hung up.

"G'night, Martin…" Ruthie whispers.

"Goodnight, Ruthie," I tell her as I leave for the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

5

"Haaaappy biiiirthday toooo youuuuu…" Annie brings out the cheesecake in from the kitchen, singing that Sunday night. The others…Eric, Lucy, Ruthie, their kids, and the twins chime in with the birthday song, wishing me a happy birthday.

I smile as Annie places the cake in front of me. It smells delicious…she made it from scratch instead of buying it from the store, which makes me feel even more special.

"Make a wish…" Lucy smiles over at me. I silently wish for a wonderful new life for myself and Ruthie in a fresh setting as I blow out the candles and everyone claps. Sam whistles loudly.

"What'd you wish for?" Savannah asks. _None of your business_, I'm tempted to tell her, but with Annie and Eric here, I keep my mouth shut.

"Savannah, it's private," Annie says, passing cake slices and ice cream around. I ask for and get two huge scoops of ice cream.

"Wow, you remembered I like Rocky Road," I say as we start to eat. It's Ruthie's favorite also.

"So…" Eric says. "Twenty-two years." He smiles a paternal smile at me and pats my shoulder. "How well I remember you as a teenager…just came here one day needing a home…a stable family."

"I'm so glad you provided that for me," I tell Eric. "Thank you…I sure didn't want to head to New York with my aunt…especially with their cold winters."

"I remember seeing the newscast last February about the awful snow they got clobbered with," Lucy says, sipping her coffee. "I'm glad I wasn't in that mess."

"It snows where Uncle Simon lives," Savannah chimes in. "He told me he likes it."

"Consider the source," Ruthie tells her with a laugh. "This is _Simon_ who'd say that."

Sam and David laugh. I have to stifle a snicker myself.

"What's that mean about a sorts?" Savannah looks puzzled.

"Source…" Ruthie clarifies. "Simon…doesn't exactly tell things as they are…he has problems…"

"Ruthie…" Annie shakes her head at her in warning.

"Problems?" Savannah continues. "Why does Uncle Simon have problems? Other than he gets that scary cough sometimes?"

_Because he's a mental case and an immoral sleaze_, I feel like telling her.

"It's…" Eric starts. He and Annie look at each other with this pregnant stare as they so often do when the subject of either Simon or Mary comes up and sometimes Matt.

"A lot of things," Eric finally says. "Your uncle has some…private issues he's coping with and your grandma and I are trying to help him with them."

"I really don't understand why he keeps rejecting your offers of help, Dad," Lucy says. "You've offered to get him some really plum jobs…and some in that film industry he supposedly claims to be into these days."

"Maybe Uncle Simon doesn't want to be a plum…I think he wants to make movies," Savannah says. Ruthie laughs and Lucy glares at her, then Savannah.

"That's a good one," Ruthie keeps laughing. "Why not, Dad…Simon's being such a fruit about us and your trying to help anyway…maybe he'll land something as a fruit mascot instead of accepting your help…that'd suit him."

Lucy, the twins, and I start laughing also.

"Yeah, Simon's as ugly as a fruit anyway…" Sam chortles, spraying bits of cheesecake out of his mouth.

Eric and Annie frown at us.

"Ruthie…" Eric says sternly. "That's really not funny."

"I think Simon wants to make movies," Savannah keeps it up. "Grandpa, why don't you call Aunt Sarah and Uncle Matt about the cough he gets? They're doctors, so they can help him there…it's scary when he starts coughing and can't breathe…what if he dies?"

"Honey, Simon is not going to die," Eric tells her, reaching over and patting her head. "He just has asthma…it makes people cough and wheeze…it sounds scary, but it's rarely serious enough to die from."

"There are doctors here your grandfather knows," Annie pours herself a second cup of coffee and stirs vigorously. "I don't know why Simon won't…" she stops herself, stirring so hard she's clanging the spoon against the cup sides. Sam and David glance at each other and giggle.

"Well, it's frustrating…one of the things…let's change this topic," Annie snaps and bangs the spoon back into her saucer with a noisy clatter.

I'm relieved that Annie and Eric turn the topic back to me and my day…I myself can't believe I am twenty-two today.

"So, what do you believe you'll accomplish this year?" Eric asks. "I'm sure you have greater plans than what your father laid out for you."

"I do…" I smile at them. "This year, I hope I can move out of that dinky job I'm in and maybe get into baseball again…I have two more years of college to go…but maybe when my baseball career takes off, I might not even need to go through two more years of studying."

"Oh, Martin, that's great!" Lucy squeals.

Ruthie grins at me and I smile back our secret smile. I won't spill all the details yet. Ruthie and I plan to do that together when I get everything in place.

"Good goal…" Annie nods.

"Mayyybe you still want to have that degree under your belt…just to keep your options open for the far future," Eric runs his hand over his chin, narrowing his blue eyes pensively.

"Good idea," I nod.

But once Ruthie and I land in Hawaii, it won't be dragging through grueling books and writing endless term papers…I'll take the courses I want and since I'll have a baseball career, I'll have money and not have to inch through credit by credit or rely on the financial aid that's kept me tethered here in Glen Oak. I hope by Thanksgiving at the latest, Ruthie and I can kiss poky, gossipy Glen Oak goodbye forever and begin our new lives in glamorous Hawaii.

"You could become the next Pete Rose!" Lucy exclaims. "You'd be famous…and we'd be proud to know you…"

"You'd all have front box seats to my games," I tell them.

"So, do you think Sandy would be all right with you entering pro baseball?" Annie asks. "You'd be away from home often…away from her and your sons."

"Yeah, she's all right with it," I lie.

Actually, I never have talked to Sandy at all about my baseball dreams. She'd never support it; she'd just complain about it. But it's all moot now since I'll be with Ruthie.

"Your boys…" Eric says. "They'll still need their father around…"

"I won't be away from them all that much…and we've got Dad…and you and Annie," I say.

"Whenever you're away with a team, Aaron and Micheal can always come over here and stay with us," Annie says. Lucy looks at her mother sharply. Annie catches her look and shrugs in question. "What…?"

"What about Sandy?" Lucy hisses. I know she doesn't like Sandy and doesn't want Sandy darkening the doorstep of this house.

"She or Martin's dad can drop the boys off," Eric placates Lucy. "You won't have to deal with Sandy…it'll just be the boys."

"Thanks, Dad," Lucy smiles at Eric, then reaches over and gives him a little hug. He hugs her back. Lucy is a real Daddy's girl, right down to both of them being ministers. Ruthie scowls at Lucy's back.

Once Lucy sits back down, Eric tells me, "I can contact the radio stations and ask if any of the local pro teams need anyone…I'll pass along the word on your baseball talent…"

"You'd do that for me?" I say, flattered.

"Sure," Eric says. "You're like the son I always wanted."

"Mine also," Annie smiles at me and pats my hand.

"Thanks…" I say. "That means a lot to me…I'll look into whatever you bring up with baseball…"

I really wish Eric was my dad…and Annie my mom. They're a lot better than the sorry excuses for parents I was unlucky enough to get stuck with growing up. My own dad was hardly around in my growing up years and you know the story on my mom now.

It's getting late. Rick and Kaylee have nodded off in their high chairs. Savannah is starting to drift off also, thank goodness, so Lucy bids me goodnight and happy birthday and carries Rick upstairs, motioning Savannah to follow.

Savannah slowly gets up, stares at me for a long minute, then glances at Ruthie, then stares back at me with saucer eyes as if I'm some space alien. I glare at her secretly. Mercifully, she gets my _back off _message and follows her mother upstairs.

"Goodnight, everyone…" I say, heading toward the door. Annie hugs me and she and Eric bid me happy birthday once again.

Ruthie purrs, "Happy Birthday, Martin…" and kisses my cheek. I kiss back and we hug. We have to try not to look too intimate until everything's in place.

"Ruthie…" Annie's holding Kaylee out to her. "Take your daughter upstairs…"

"Do I have to?" Ruthie scowls at her mother, then at Kaylee, who is squirming. Her eyes open slightly, but close again.

"Yes." Annie commands. Ruthie sighs and reluctantly takes Kaylee, who lets out a soft wail.

"Don't start crying…" Ruthie tells her as she carries Kaylee awkwardly up the stairs. "Just stay quiet."

Once Ruthie has disappeared upstairs, Annie shakes her head, her eyes wide with disapproval. I know Annie doesn't like the way Ruthie handles Kaylee.

"I hope she learns how to be a better mother with Kaylee," Annie tells me.

"Me too," I agree.

"I try to give her tips and even bought her the book, _Parents' Answer Book _by the world-renowned child expert James Dobson, but she never even looked at it and she just brushes off my help," Annie sighs. "I've seen the book just sitting under her bed collecting dust when I go in her room to get the laundry."

"Well, it's like with Simon…you can lead them to water, but you can't make them drink," I tell them.

We bid goodnight one last time as I slip out the door. Tonight's a bit cooler than usual, even though it's only mid-October. I just hope it won't get cold this year…especially before Ruthie and I take off for Hawaii. Once we're in Hawaii, we'll never have to deal with chilly weather again.

Sandy and the boys are in bed by the time I get home. I suspect my dad is also. Going to the bed section, I see there are several balloons and a few streamers around the room.

Oops, I forgot Sandy and the boys were planning a birthday thing for me also. But their idea of birthdays are balloons, cutesy rhyming, clapping songs and little silly party hats…I guess it's because of Aaron and Michael's ages.

Sandy caters to them too much; she would have even made my own birthday wrapped around their whims. I'm glad the Camdens don't do the balloon and little hats nonsense for the adult birthdays.

I try not to groan as I set the alarm for stinking work the next day, then remind myself that in a month or so, I'll be gone from this godforsaken place.

* * *

"Your dad left something for you," Sandy wakes me up with the next morning just before my alarm goes off. Groaning and yawning, I roll over before opening my eyes.

"Happy birthday, Daddy…" Aaron's peering at me from a chair.

"Thanks, kiddo," I sit up slowly and see a small package wrapped in blue paper.

"I got you suumpin too…" Aaron toddles over and hands me a folded paper with scribbling on it. I guess it's meant to be a birthday card. It's on plain lined notebook paper, but has a crooked sloppy drawing of a stick-figure holding a string and a circle next to it.

"It's a baseball playing," Aaron tells me.

"It's nice…" I say. I reach over and give him a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks for remembering, son."

"We waited for you last night," Sandy tells me as she lifts Micheal up to change his diaper. "Your dad, the boys, and I were going to have a birthday dinner, then cake and presents…I got you something and it's on the table…were you at the Camdens'?"

"Yeah…" I admit. "They invited me over…sorry…I lost track of time…Annie cooked this terrific dinner and made this great cheesecake…Eric really gave me some good pointers on the next year…he's a really good father…and Annie's a wonderful cook."

"I figured…your dad made a great meal also…your favorite…that sirloin steak you like and your favorite fried rice…he was disappointed that you didn't show…did you get the messages he left on your cell?"

I hadn't bothered checking my cell…I'd left it in my car.

"He kept trying to reach you…the boys wanted to see you and celebrate with you also…why do you always put the Camdens before your own family, huh?" Sandy puts a changed Micheal down in the playpen and just stares at me as if I'd done something horrible.

"I don't put the Camdens ahead of you," I say. I'm getting dressed for work and am so not in the mood for any of this today. "I said I was sorry, okay?"

"Sorry's wearing a bit thin these days, Martin," Sandy keeps the nagging up. "You need to start showing some consideration for your own family…"

"I work my butt off to provide for you and the boys, don't I?" I counter. "And I'm going to classes, so I can get my degree and get a better job to provide us with a better life than the lousy one me dad set up for us…"

"That was Eric who talked us into marrying for the sake of the boys…"

"And my own stinking dad was the one who stuck me in the lousy job I'm in today!" I snap back. "And you know something else? Eric is going to get me into pro baseball, so I get make more money for us…maybe get out of this poky little town and move someplace better like LA…"

"Eric?" Sandy laughs a sarcastic snort of a laugh. "Getting you into baseball? He doesn't know any coaches or pro teams! Do you know how hard it is to get into pro sports…and these are players who've played since early childhood…you just started baseball in middle school and even then, just on and off…you're good so far, but they're gonna want a lot more…"

"Eric's going to talk to people and get to know the sports pros," I snarl. I've had it with her. "And when Eric does come through for me, you'd better be behind me…you and my dad…so get ready…I'm not going to live the way we're living much longer…I've had it and things are going to change…"

A whimper comes from one corner of the room and Sandy and I look over. Aaron is huddled in the corner, crying. Sandy races over to him and picks him up as if he's dying or something and kisses his tear-streaked face.

"You're scaring Aaron," Sandy glares at me as if her nagging is my fault. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but I know I'm getting tired of it too…I'm looking for work and going back to school in a few months, so I can put food on the table because if you keep going the way you are…"

"I'm trying to do something good for this family and all's you can do is threaten divorce because things aren't going your way?" I shout.

In the playpen, Micheal starts bawling also, which starts Aaron up again. The door upstairs opens and down the stairs comes my dad in a wrinkled T-shirt and plaid boxer shorts.

"Great, see what you're doing right now?" Sandy hisses at me and heads to the other room, scooping a wailing Micheal up. Mercifully she closes the door, so the boys' annoying racket from all their crying is muffled.

"Dad…I'm not in the mood today, so I'm leaving…I know Sandy's blaming me for everything as usual, so don't get on my back also…"

"I wasn't going to blame anyone," Dad says, although he glares at me a little as if he already thinks everything's my fault. I am so sick of getting blamed for stuff other people start. "The fighting woke me up…you were with the Camdens again?"

"Yeah…so?" I snipe. "They're good to me and always make me feel welcome, unlike people here…"

"Martin…" Dad sighs gustily. He stares at me again as if I'm some museum piece. "What's going on with you and Ruthie?"

"What?" I exclaim. Just where is he coming up with…I hope no one's been squealing about Ruthie and me…I'll kill whoever it is if they are.

"Just that…are you going over to visit the entire Camden clan or Ruthie in particular…I remember you and she had something going for a while a couple of years ago…you were in high school…"

I'm heading toward the door, but whirl around and point at my dad. "Just…who told you I was having some affair with Ruthie?" I demand.

"No one…" Dad says. "I've overheard things…Martin, you're a married man and if you can't…"

"Save it, Dad…whatever you heard are lies…you should know how Glen Oak is…" I say hotly.

"Eric came over a few weeks ago when Ruthie…"

"I know…and she wasn't with me, so save it, Dad!" I bite and exit, slamming the door behind me and heading off to my lousy job.

Just one more month, I tell myself…I have to keep things with Ruthie under wraps until plans fall into place. I know somebody's been running their mouth…I hope Dad hasn't called the Camden place…but the stupid twins don't know yet, so they can't blather…Lucy and her little spawn, Savannah don't know either, thank God. I know Savannah would be the type to rattle her little mouth.

I'm parking when it occurs to me that maybe Sandy has been complaining to Simon…and maybe that rat planted the idea in Sandy and my dad's head about Ruthie and me…I wouldn't put it past the little weasel to do something crummy like that.

I pick up my cell, ready to call Simon and let the creep really have it. But just as I punch the first number in, I remember what a coward Simon is. So if he sees my number crop up, he wouldn't pick up and face the music.

I realize I'm late, so I mutter, "Crrrrrap…" and head inside.

As soon as I head in, I make it to the table when Fred comes up and hisses, "Brewer…you're wanted in a meeting upstairs at ten-thirty."

"For WHAT?" I yell. Now there'll be more nonsense today, this time with Fred as if I don't have enough crud in my life already.

"Keep your voice down, Brewer…" Fred glares. "You'll see at ten-thirty." And off he walks before I can retort anything more. Another stinking weasel in my life…they just piss on me, then run off like the little cowards they are.

* * *

I consider just stalking out of the building at ten-thirty and never coming back, but I need the money until I get set up in Hawaii. And also Dad and Sandy would start dumping all over me again if I quit now. So for the time being, I clench my jaw and get work done, bracing myself for more stupidity from Fred and the manager, who's also a dolt.

I wonder what dirt they've dug up on me this time…or are they just going to carry on and on about my yelling at Jeb and Francis last week? Whatever it is, I'll just tune out their idiocy until it's over and just go back to work and bear this mess out for one more month.

By Thanksgiving, things will be better. I'll be with Ruthie in Hawaii…I'll be getting started in a new baseball career, especially if Eric hooks me up with something her for starters.

Once I get my foot in the door here, I can have them transfer me to Hawaii. And then Ruthie and I will be free of bratty kids…I won't have Sandy or my dad griping at me…I won't have to be looking over my shoulder for any more of Simon's sleazy games…and best of all, Ruthie and I won't have to sneak around and lie anymore.

I am sure once Eric, then I get everything in place, I can just tell them Sandy left me, work up a good story on her dumping me, and maybe even tell them she left for another guy. And since Eric and Annie like me like another son, I am sure they'll give their blessings for me to start a new life with Ruthie.

I consider even having the wedding here…but then I get the idea that maybe if I get into baseball, I can get the Camdens to fly out to Hawaii and have a wedding there…Lucy or Eric could marry us out there under the beautiful palm trees.

Ten-thirty comes and I heave a gusty sigh and head upstairs to more butt headedness for now. Sure enough, I step in the door and not only is Fred there, but several bigwig managers, including the owner, Frank Veers.

"Sit down, Brewer," Frank says in this haughty, condescending voice he has. What a snob, I think, plopping down with a sigh. Fred stands and closes the creaky old door.

"What?" I say. I see Frank is holding several sheets.

"There's really no easy way to tell you this…" Frank begins. I get a bad feeling about the way they're staring at me as if I'm some cockroach in their pristine little lives.

"Just cut to the chase," I say impatiently. "I've had a bad day as it is and my wife's always getting on my case…"

"We're sorry to hear that, but let's get to this…" Frank rambles on. "We're going to have to let you go today."

The ceiling caves in…no, not literally, but I feel like it has and I feel like the ceiling is falling down with a thud on my head. I vaguely see that Frank is pushing a note under my nose…it says that I'm "terminated." I don't need to read the rest of it.

"EK! _SCEEEEUUUUUUUUSE_ ME!" I yell, standing up.

"Brewer…lower your voice and conduct yourself…" Fred starts, glaring at me as he points me to my seat.

"No, since you've just 'terminated' me, I don't have to CONDUCT myself anymore with your stupid office!" I'm really steamed at this latest low trick.

"Brewer, I hope we don't have to call security…" Fred says sternly.

"I thought you were done with me from last week's fight I got into with Jeb and Frances…and I told you that was their doing; they started that, not me! They're the ones who should be in here being…terminated," I spit out as viciously as I can.

"It's about more than what happened last week," Frank barks at me. "Sit!" he points. "Or I call security."

I consider slugging Frank, but don't want to end up not only fired, but in jail, so I reluctantly sit and glower at the management rats as nastily as I can muster.

"Then just why am I being…'terminated'?" I demand. "And it better not be something lame or somebody's going to pay…"

Frank glowers back at me and thrusts more notes at me. I start to shove them back in his stinking, rotten face, but he points and shakes them in my face. I start to read and realize that it's the telling-off e-mails I sent to Jeb and Frances.

I laugh bitterly. "I'm being fired over some stupid e-mails?" I'm incredulous.

"You threatened both of them and used some pretty damning slurs…" Fred accuses.

"Hey, listen, I was mad…I wrote them on impulse…I wasn't thinking…I was having a rotten day…" I protest.

"We've given you numerous chances, considering your father pulled some strings to get you in here, Brewer," Frank says. "And you've really abused that faith your father had in you…"

"And you've betrayed both my dad and me!" I shout, furious. "My father was a Marine and fought for this country in Iraq! And this is how you pay him back?"

"It's how _YOU_ paid him back for his help…" Fred says angrily.

"Hey, listen, punks!" I yell, standing up once again. "When my dad hears about this, you're going to have to deal with him…and he's going to sue all of your butts off until your stinking little office goes BANKRUPT!"

I barely notice that Frank has his cell and is talking into it. Right, he fires me, then goes to socialize as if he didn't just ruin my life and my plans. I'd planned to be the one to leave, not have them fire me!

"And when he's done suing you into the ground, I'm gonna let the world know about all of you rotten jerks…"

"I've already conferred with your father this morning," Frank cuts in, his cell blab session over with for now. "He agreed with us that it is necessary to dismiss you."

"WHAAAAT!" I scream. My own dad…plotted with these rats? I stand there, stunned and fuming for a long minute.

"So, you can clean out your table and leave quietly…or be escorted out by security." Frank says, leveling me with this even stare.

"Neither one!" I shout. "I'll leave your stupid office and this lousy job, but somebody is going to pay big-time…and it won't be me!" I turn on my heel, panting in absolute fury, but as I throw open the door, I run smack into a burly security guard. Actually there are several. "HEY…!" I bellow.

"You will come with us and leave quietly," the burly one tells me.

I debate taking them on, but realize it's useless. So for now, I give in. They escort me to my table, where people stare at me as I throw my stuff together, then one of the guards takes my ID card and they walk me to the door as if I'm some misbehaving child who has to be watched in their precious little building. I guess they think I'll run around tearing up the place.

I head toward home, checking to see if Sandy's home before I drive closer. I don't want her to wonder why I'm home in the late morning. But thankfully, her car is gone and so is my dad's. So I park and head inside.

I remember that she's at a Mommy and Me session with the boys and won't be back until three-thirty and my dad will be at work until five.

When Dad gets home, I plan to have a few good words with him. I slam my things down and get a glass of pineapple juice from the fridge. I sit and try to calm down after my incredible morning of betrayal and turn on the TV.

It's mostly stupid, lame soap operas and talk shows. So I put in the DVD, _Memento_, and watch that to take my mind off Dad and those office bozos.

My landline rings and I answer. I don't recognize the number on the caller ID. But whoever is on the other side hangs up without a word.

I am at a really good scene in the movie a half hour later when the phone rings again. Same number, so I answer to see if I can find out who it is or whether it's just a misdial. But the person just hangs up wordlessly.

"DRAT!" I bang down the phone. I really hate it when people misdial, but keep calling back as if they hope the number will magically change into the right one and then are rude enough to hang up without a single word. If the punk calls back again, I'm going to tell them off.

I watch two more DVDs and eat some leftover pot roast for lunch. I'm still steaming over today, but am not as mad as I was earlier. I try to think of some way I call tell Ruthie that plans have changed a bit since I no longer have an income. I debate calling her cell, but if she's at the house, Annie, Lucy, Savannah, or the boys might overhear.

I decide to call Eric and tell him what happened…maybe he can expedite things for me and I can get into baseball sooner. So I dial. He doesn't pick up at the church office, so I try the home line. He's not there either, but Annie picks up.

"Oh, hi, Martin," she greets warmly when she knows it's me. "How are you? Are you at work?"

"No…" I tell her about those rats, but I just say I was laid off. "They've been short-funded for a while, so they had to let me go," I finish.

"Oh, Martin, I'm so sorry to hear that," Annie says sympathetically, bringing a smile to my face for the first time that day. "You're hardworking, so I'm sure you'll find something else soon…and Eric can help…you know he's calling around that stations to see if he can find pro teams recruiting…and failing that, he can get you a job here that pays well…"

"Thanks…I really need it, especially with this lousy economy," I tell her.

"I hope Sandy's not too upset…is she there right now?"

"No…she's at the Mommy and Me group…she won't be back into later this afternoon." I could use some sympathy and support right now, so I add, "And my dad's working very late…he told me he might not be back until after ten tonight."

"Would you like to come for dinner tonight?" Annie asks.

"Sure…if it's not too much trouble," I say.

I make sure I always hide the impression that I'm eager for an invitation. _If it's not too much trouble_ almost always works with most people when you want something out of them. Few people want to admit when something is too much trouble and the Camdens like to be known around Glen Oak as the family who welcomes those in need into their house.

"You're always welcome here, Martin," Annie adds.

"Hey…is that Martin?" I hear Lucy's voice in the background.

"Thanks…five-thirty is good?" I ask.

"It's fine…" Annie agrees.

"Why is Martin always here?" I hear Savannah ask. I guess she and Lucy have come into the kitchen.

"Because he's like family," Lucy tells her.

"No, he's not family," Savannah wails. "And he's mean to Uncle Simon…"

"Savannah…Martin is _not_ mean…" Lucy tells her.

"Yes, he is…" Savannah insists. "He's mean to Uncle Simon and says bad things about him..."

"Just go back upstairs and finish that reading project I told you to do." Lucy sounds exasperated.. I guess Savannah dawdles because Lucy snaps," Go!"

"Gotta go," Annie says. "We'll see you tonight, honey." Before we disconnect, I hear Annie chiming into Lucy and Savannah's argument.

I decide to head out in a while before Sandy gets home and just drive around until five-thirty. I am not in the mood to deal with her or the boys today. I take a shower, then get dressed to go.

As I am combing my damp hair, the landline rings once more. I see a different number, still unfamiliar. I'm curious, so I pick up.

"Brewer residence, Martin speaking," I greet.

But this person hangs up without a word. I let out a sort of hiss and slam down the phone. Just who the hell keeps calling and hanging up? I decide not to dwell on it for now and head out. Sandy can deal with the twit who's fooling around with our phone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

6

"Annie tells me you were laid off," Eric touches my shoulder in support as we sit for dinner.

"Yes…cutbacks," I confirm. No point in telling Eric all the gory details.

"So sorry to hear that," Eric says soothingly. "I'll keep working on getting you something…keep your hopes up…I'll keep letting various stations know and I'll make sure I talk to the coaches and managers themselves and tell them how wonderful you are."

"Thanks…that means a lot to me," I say. Eric and I smile at each other. I almost begin to feel as if he's my real father, then Eric begins to lead the grace.

I was going to tell off my other lousy excuse of my own dad, but now feel calmer here. Later, I'll deal with Beau Brewer and let him know that I won't tolerate any more of his backstabbing. It's good to know that neither Eric nor Annie would ever pull the crap my own dad just pulled; they're much more loyal to me…the way real parents should be.

As always, Annie cooked a great meal for all of us. I silently thank God for that as we eat and some of us talk.

"…So, we should be ready for the next unit with Savannah, Luce," Eric tells Lucy as the two of them discuss the homeschooling schedule for Savannah.

"Sure, Dad…" Lucy smiles, then tells Savannah, "When Grandpa brings us the new math book, we can get started on bigger numbers to add and subtract."

"If I learn the big numbers and words, can I go to school with the other kids?" Savannah asks.

"You can learn everything right here," Lucy tells her. "Grandpa, Grandma and me can teach you everything you need to know…you don't need to go to school."

"But you and Uncle Simon and Aunt Ruthie went and nothing bad happened to you…"

"That was different," Lucy tells her rather tersely. "We've talked about this, Savannah…the schools are not good these days…too much immorality…I don't want you and Rick exposed to all that…"

"But Uncle Simon said he liked school…he says there are nice teachers and he had friends…"

"…and got drunk and picked up bad ideas about sex," Ruthie chimes in. "He sure learned how to do the finger with those guy friends." Ruthie laughs, which makes me laugh. "Remember how you got all bent out of shape, Mom?"

"Ruthie…" Annie heaves a gusty sigh. "Let's forget about that vulgar gesture…we knew how wrong it was of Simon to do that…let's not bring that up again here."

"Savannah…has Simon been telling you things…things about me and maybe things he should not be telling you?" Lucy demands, her face going red as he eyes widen.

"No…he never says anything bad about you or about school," Savannah looks away from her mother. "He liked his teachers there…"

"Because they let him get away with too much," Lucy snaps as she and Annie start to clear away the dishes. I pick up my own empty plate myself and so does Eric and we carry them into the kitchen.

"…just going to call Simon and read that boy the riot act!" Lucy's fuming as she bangs her plate into the dishwasher. It cracks and part of it shatters.

"Lucy!" Annie snaps. "Just go back to the dining room and let me finish these dishes…you're obviously upset…and calling Simon isn't going to do any good…it'll just make him more defiant and heaven knows, your father and I don't need that…and you know if it's one of us, he won't pick up anyway…I wonder who the idiot is who invented caller ID in the first place…let me do this and I'll be out with dessert in a bit…" Annie kisses Lucy's hair and prods her out of the kitchen. Lucy goes, still huffing.

I hand Annie a dustpan and Eric gets the small vacuum cleaner and vacuums the mess Lucy made of the dishwasher door.

By the time we're done with dessert, it's getting late. I really don't want to go home and deal with Sandy or her boys just get, especially without a job. My dad will probably tell her the gory details soon enough if he hasn't already. I'm just so not up to it tonight. So I offer to help arrange Sam and David's work folders for the following week.

"That would be so helpful, Martin," Annie gushes. "Thank you…with helping Lucy with Rick and Savannah, basically taking care of Kaylee for Ruthie, not to mention laundry, house cleaning and cooking, I could use more hands."

"Any time," I smile at her. She shows me where the math papers go, where their reading work goes, and where their science and social studies notes go also.

"Once they're divided, they go into these labeled folders in this plastic bin," Annie points to the large bin in her and Eric's study, which is adjacent to their bedroom.

I go to work on it once Annie heads back down to finish the dishes. As I go through their papers, I hear Annie and Ruthie arguing about something in the kitchen, then Kaylee crying as usual.

"Ruthie…get Kaylee and quiet her!" I hear Lucy yell.

"How…she won't stop even if I pick her up!" Ruthie snipes back.

"Her diaper needs changing!" Sam chimes in from the dining room where he and David are working on some night assignments. "Can't you tell by the way she smells?"

"Shut up, peanut-brain!" Ruthie yells at him.

"Ruthie!" Annie's voice warning her.

"Sam just doesn't know when…" Ruthie starts to argue, but Annie interrupts.

"Ruthie, go and check your daughter's diaper and if it's dirty, change it…then take her up to bed…I am sure she's tired," Annie says this a bit slowly as if Ruthie's a stupid little kid herself.

I guess Ruthie gets the message because I hear her head upstairs and Kaylee's cries going up the stairs. I am away from the bedroom door, so we don't see each other.

I shake my head, grin a bit at the mess, but also feel for the mess Ruthie's in. I also am shaking my head because David's handwriting is so sloppy it's a wonder anyone can read it.

It's almost an hour later when I get all the papers filed. It's nearly that long before Kaylee's crying slows, then stops. I slowly stand and start back down to let Annie know that the project is done. I yawn and try to appear as tired as possible as I head down the stairs.

Annie and Eric are watching the news in the living room. "I got the papers filed for the boys," I tell them and yawn again, half-closing my eyes and stretch. "I guess since it's late, I should start home…" I let my head droop with my eyes.

Annie gets the hint…smart lady. "Martin, you look tired…why don't you spend the night here? Eric, it would be safer than having him drive when he's this tired…"

"Sure…" Eric peers up at me with concerned eyes. "You hear of people falling asleep behind the wheel…we don't want that to happen to you, Martin…"

"Could I?" I say, yawning again. "Thanks…I guess the last thing I'd need is an accident."

Annie nudges Eric. "You know the extra…"

"Sure…" Eric nods and I follow him to the extra bedroom where Eric pulls out sheets and a blanket. I help him lay it on the bed.

"Thanks for everything…your support and all," I tell him.

"Any time…and you're always welcome here…any time things get rocky at your house…you'll always find a door open for you here….and I'll start calling and visiting around tomorrow…you'll be working again, this time at a better job in no time."

I wake up from a wonderful slumber just as it is getting light outside. I hear noises coming from the bathroom down the hall. At first, I can't tell what they are, but then it sounds like something pouring into the toilet, then a noise that sounds like _gaaaaaaaaack_, and then a heaving gasp.

Somebody's knocking on the bathroom door just then. At first, I don't know who it is, then I hear David's voice.

"Heyyy, is that you barfing, Ruthie?" he calls. "Come on, hurry up and finish…I gotta potty."

Oh, it's Ruthie, I realize, turning over and trying to go back to sleep. I guess Ruthie's still not out about ten or so minutes later because David shrieks, "RUUUUTHIEEEE! You're done barfing, so get out!"

"David!" Ruthie comes out. "Just learn to wait or go downstairs to pee!"

"What happened, did you get drunk or something?" David jeers.

"No, so shut up, imbecile!"

"Are you and Martin having sex?"

"No, so get out of here, you moron and leave me alone!" Ruthie screams.

Footfalls sound from the parental bedroom.

"What is this yelling about?" Annie demands angrily. "Do you both have to wake the whole family, including Martin with your silly bickering?"

"David started it…" Ruthie protests. "I had to go to the bathroom and David started pounding on the door…"

"She's in there gacking and barfing like she's hungover," David chimes in. "And hogging the bathroom even after she's done barfing…eww, this bathroom stinks…did you fart too?"

"No!" Ruthie snaps. "I'm going back to bed, so I don't have to listen to his silly crap…" A door slams.

"David…" Annie starts.

"Gotta go," David interrupts and the bathroom door slams.

"Can I get just one peaceful morning without all this family carrying on?" Lucy's plaintive voice comes down the hall. "Mom, do you have to carry on just because of my sister and brother's immaturity and wake everyone else up too?"

"I wasn't the one 'carrying on,' Lucy," Annie replies tersely. "Ruthie and David woke me up also…and I've got to get breakfast…and speaking of which, the county school board still needs your lesson plan for Savannah's math and reading…they've called your father twice last week telling him you haven't sent it to them."

Lucy heaves a gusty sigh. "Ooomph, those big government people just won't lay off my back…I keep telling them over the phone…you'd think they'd leave us alone…"

"They need more than just your word alone," Annie informs her. "I know it's a pain with the state controlling education more and more these days, but if we want to keep teaching our kids and keep our family together, you need to placate them…send things written…your father can help you there…"

They're going downstairs now, their voices fading, retreating into the kitchen. I smile at Lucy's antics. Knowing her, she's been too scatterbrained to keep track of what Savannah's doing and on top of that, Eric seems to be doing most of the heavy teaching anyway with all of the kids.

* * *

I really don't mean to stay this long, but I wind up staying at the Camden house for several more days. I see Ruthie on and off and we do a lot of talking. Ruthie seems to have recovered from whatever it is she had a few mornings ago.

I don't just lie around doing nothing the whole time; I help Annie with some of the organizing of Sam and David's school work. I even help Eric compose a record of Savannah's schooling and the progress Lucy has supposedly made with her, which makes both Eric and Lucy grateful.

In return, not only do the Camdens give me a place to stay, but as I ask them to, they tell anyone who calls that I'm not there. I don't want Dad or Sandy to start bombarding me here at the Camden house with demands to come home to them. I need to sort things out before I deal with either of them again.

And on the second night, Eric does field one call from Dad and tells him I am not here at their house, so I thank him when he comes out of his office.

"Martin helped Dad and me get that progress report into the county school board, so they should be off our backs," Lucy tells Annie over dinner a few nights later.

"Thanks, Martin," Annie beams at me as she brings a broccoli salad to the table and sits.

"Anytime," I smile back.

I'm just hooked on their support…I don't want to leave it and go back to the crap and non-support I get back at home.

"Martin, I have something that should cheer you up," Eric adds his smile in my direction.

"What is…?" I'm curious.

"From my scouting around, I found something with a college softball team…"

"Wow!" I say. "Really?"

"I think I'm on to something…it's not a full playing position, but it's a part-time startup position that will open a good door for you…you could start with the college team and that could lead into a pro baseball team position."

"That's great, Reverend…how soon does it start?" I'm ecstatic at this new start.

"They didn't give me a start date yet," Eric says. "They do want you to report in at two-thirty tomorrow afternoon…it's a formality where they just want to meet you and ask a few questions…" he proceeds to give me the address of the place and all.

Now finally my life is starting to roll…once I get this job down, I can go on back to Sandy and Dad and tell them I got this position. They can get on board with me and support me…or if they don't, I'm out of there for good…and will continue with Ruthie since she's been supportive of me.

* * *

Ruthie kisses me good luck privately before I leave for the job the next day. She asks to go with me, but I tell her it's not a good idea.

"Whyyy?" Ruthie pouts.

"They don't like other people sitting in on a new employee," I tell her. "They'd think you and I would wind up socializing the whole time…I promise I'll tell you everything and once I get started playing, you can come to my first game and then visit me at work."

Ruthie's still pouting a bit, but she nods. "You'll get to the pros in no time and make lots of money…then we can get out of here…"

"Mommy…" Kaylee toddles into the living room just then. Ruthie scowls and heaves a sigh. Kaylee sees me with her mother and her eyes widen as she stares up at me.

"What?" Ruthie demands, turning around slowly. "Martin and I are talking…"

"Annn Lu and Grampa had book wi Vanna…boys chase me n' Riiii away…" Kaylee whimpers, trying to cling to Ruthie.

Kids, I muse, rolling my eyes as Ruthie impatiently tries to pry Kaylee off her, but Kaylee keeps whimpering until she starts to cry as she continues to cling to Ruthie. I take this opportunity to slip out the door and hurry to my new opportunity that will change my life for the better.

I get to Talger University in record time. It's a small college, smaller than Crawford, which is where I take my classes and is on the outskirts of the northern part of Glen Oak. It's a twenty-minute wait before I'm called in. As a slightly heavy man with gray-streaked hair calls me in, I wonder why they took so long.

The office is small and cluttered with a million papers all over the desk and shelves.

"Hello…I'm Marvin Boyle…call me Marvin…have a seat…Mr..." he peers at a paper on his desk.

"Brewer," I supply, wondering if he has Alzheimer's or something. Didn't Eric give him my name?

"Yes, Mr. Brewer," he smiles at me and sits at his desk. "Pleased to meet you…the position we're seeking to fill is for an alternate shortstop for our softball team, the Mavericks…your minister referred you here, correct?"

"Yes," I say, smiling back at the guy. "I've played softball and baseball all my life and it's my life's goal to play for a college or pro team."

"Yes, that's great," Marvin says. "We've actually had several referrals from high schools and other colleges in nearby areas send us candidates to interview with us…you're our fourth one we've interviewed so far…"

"Excuse me…did you say interview?" I ask, not sure if he knows what he's talking about. Eric had told me that this job was already mine, that all they had to do with go through some paperwork and some last-minute questions that are asked of any new team member.

"That's right…" Marvin smiles at me as if he thinks I should be pleased about being told that I am just another number to him, not their next player.

"But I was told this position was already open to me," I tell him. "I wasn't told you hadn't decided who you'd hire…"

"We still have three more…" Marvin starts, then I guess gets it finally. "Ohhhh…" he pauses and stares at me. "I guess either Reverend Camden or you misunderstood…you thought he'd told you I'd already done the hiring…"

"I didn't 'misunderstand' anything," I say, fighting back annoyance at this guy's stupidity. "The Reverend told me I'd been hired for this job…"

"I guess he misunderstood, then…" Marvin gives me this moronic, fake smile. "I'm so sorry about this misunderstanding, but as of right now, you are in the running with six other applicants for this one position."

"Or maybe you told Reverend Camden wrong," I snap, standing and glaring at Marvin.

"Mr. Brewer, I am positive…" Marvin's not smiling now. In fact, his arms fold across his chest and he looks at me as if his asinine simple-mindedness is my fault.

"Save it…I don't need to waste my time or yours sitting through some interview and being treated like a number when I was practically a pro before." With that, I turn on my heel, leave his mess of an office, and stalk out of the building.

I drive off the campus, which looks pathetic anyway. Maybe I'd be better off not playing for this place anyway.

I drive around for another hour or so. I see my cell flashing the message sign and heave a gusty sigh as I see my home number flashing. Might as well check and see what Sandy and Dad are doing. They're probably indignant because I'm not there to nag at.

"_Maaartin_…_where've you been?_" Sandy complains. "_I tried reaching you at the Camdens, but none of them have picked up for days_…_only once one of the boys did, but he just laughed, told me you were with Ruthie and hung up on me_…_I hope nothing's going on between you two_…_if you're over there, please get this message and come home_…_your dad's worried sick about you…you know he had two nightmares this week_…_I hear him groaning in his sleep and once he woke up, panting and seemed upset_…_please call me and let me know if you're with the Camdens or someplace_…" she clicks off.

Next is Dad. "_Hey, son_…_I guess you're with the Camdens_…_Sandy's concerned about you_…_she misses you_…_when are you coming home? I'm sorry you had to find out about your job this way_…_I had no other options when their managers wanted to get rid of you_…_I feel bad about this_…_I'd hoped you'd eventually move up the ranks_…_well_…_just come back home and I can help you get some interviews for another position_…_call me, okay and let's talk_." Dad clicks off.

A third one is from Sandy and she sounds really mad. "_Martin_…_I know you're with the Camdens and can tell Annie was lying when she said you hadn't been there_…_your_ _dad and I were both worried, but I guess since I know you're over mooching off the Camdens, I don't worry so much_…" she kind of ticks her tongue.

"_Well, I hope you're having a great ball there with them pampering you_…_and I hope you're not telling them about our marital issues_…_that's none of their business_…_you and the Camden clan really have a lot of nerve lying to me and your dad_…_one of the twins there spilled it out today that Reverend Camden set up some job for you in softball_…_well, good luck at it_…" She pauses.

"_I'm not so sure I'd want you back these days, but your dad's wondering about you and if you've found another job_…_maybe I should tell him not to worry_…_it'll be one less thing for him to deal with_…_he had another nightmare last night_…_I heard him waking up and he went to the bathroom crying_…_I went up and held him for a while_…_I think he had a bad time in Iraq_…_you_ _really need to have more compassion for your own dad_…_I guess I'll talk to you whenever_…" She clicks off with a cold snap.

I sort of hiss in annoyance at this added nonsense from the two of them. I grow more irate at the thought of Dad and Sandy talking about me, probably complaining to each other about me.

And what is this tripe that Sandy is rambling on and on about Dad having nightmares about Iraq? Dad never has told me about any nightmares. He seemed fine when he got back. Certainly, he was fine enough to criticize how I was handling this whole fiasco with Sandy when she first became pregnant with Aaron.

As if on cue, my cell starts to ring again and Dad's number flashes up. I start to ignore it, but realize that Dad will just leave another stupid message, so I pick up as if I'm going to answer, then hang up quickly on him.

But I know I should go home for a while. Otherwise, those two will just keep bombarding me with calls. And I do want to be sure Sandy hasn't ruined my own sons.

I grip the wheel in a flash of annoyance at the thought that she might even be badmouthing me to my own sons. Well, tonight, I'll head home and put a stop to this nonsense once and for all. And I'll also deal with Dad and his dirty game about the job and any more "nightmares" he has can be about his own sneakiness.


	7. Chapter 7

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

7

"I'm sorry, I thought it was an actual job offer," Eric tells me later on the afternoon when he comes back and I mention the "interview."

"I thought that guy lied," I nod.

"It looks like he did," Eric agrees as he hangs up his jacket.

"It didn't work out?" Ruthie queries as she comes into the living room.

"The guy lied to your dad," I tell her. "It wasn't a job after all."

"Oh…that's too bad."

"Maybe Martin could be the fruit," Sam chimes in where he's wandered in from the dining room. "You know…team mascot…"

He and his brother are supposed to be working on their social studies assignment, but as far as I see, they're giggling and throwing spitballs at each other.

"Sam…are you done with your social studies?" Eric asks him.

"Almost…" Sam hedges.

"Let me see it…" Eric demands.

Thank goodness Eric is here, so I don't have to deal with Sam's obnoxious mouth right now. As if one loud mouth is not enough, one of the toddlers starts wailing upstairs.

Ruthie and I sit on the couch for a while and talk. Mostly it's idle chatter. The phone rings in the kitchen and I hear Annie say hello.

"No, Beau, he not here…he visited, but left…what?" Annie's voice rises a little. "Are you calling me a liar?" She heaves a huge sigh. "Well, it sure sounded like you were…and I don't appreciate being called a liar…I guess Sandy will have to deal with that…yes, I know…and don't you start that again…no, they made that choice to marry…Eric and I did not 'make' either of them do anything they didn't want to do…"

Upstairs, the crying is getting louder.

"Ruthie, your daughter!" Lucy calls from upstairs. Ruthie sighs and rolls her eyes.

"What about her?" she calls.

"Just ignore her…" I start to whisper, but Lucy's on the way downstairs. She appears at the landing in the foyer like an angel on judgment day and glares at Ruthie.

"Your daughter is crying and she will get my own son going if you don't do something…I just got Rick quieted down for his nap and I don't need your kid waking mine up…get going!"

"Can't you just…?" Ruthie starts, but Annie comes into the living room to add her two cents' worth in.

"Ruthie, you should not have to be told to tend to your own child," she says sternly, glaring down at Ruthie.

Ruthie sighs gustily and mutters under her breath as she goes upstairs. Annie follows. Kaylee keeps crying and it takes her a while to quiet down.

In the dining room, Eric is scolding the boys for dawdling over their social studies. I grin. For once, Eric is putting his foot down on those little twits.

Lucy sits down next to me on the couch. "Have you called your dad or Sandy?" she asks. "What's the story there anyway…are you fighting?"

"Kind of," I say.

"I wondered…they keep calling here and once your dad called the church…you should go home for a while just to shut them up if nothing else…you can always come back here every so often."

"Yeah, I think I'm going to do that tonight…after dinner," I tell her.

"Good…" Lucy nods. "After all, you don't want Sandy to end up divorcing you…your sons would be most likely without a father…you'd be part of another broken home…you know you don't want that."

"No, I don't," I tell her. "After dinner…I'll go home and back to my boys…keep my marriage strong…be Aaron and Micheal's father…I can't let my issues with Sandy keep me from being there for my boys."

"You're such a great guy, Martin," Lucy croons as Annie comes down, carrying Kaylee, who's stopped her crying for now. She heads into the kitchen, puts Kaylee in the playpen, and starts dinner.

* * *

"I'm glad you made it home," Sandy tells me later that night as we get ready for bed. "Your dad was worried."

"If he knew I was at the Camdens' house, he couldn't have been too worried," I say, getting into my boxer shorts.

My dad, Aaron, and Micheal were already in bed when I got home.

"Eric and Annie kept telling him you weren't there…he knew they were lying." Sandy's running a brush through her long, dark hair.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't feel like dealing with him…especially after he helped me lose my job…that twerp of a boss dumped me in a most humiliating way…unlike you and my dad, the Camdens understood."

Sandy's not as angry as she was earlier today, but there is still a heavy chill between us. We're speaking calmly, civilly. It's almost eerie. I'd expected to be angry myself, but I am amazingly calm and don't feel like telling her off now.

It's a few hours after I go to sleep that I wake up to hear my dad wander into the kitchen. He seems to be fixing himself something to drink. A cup plunks onto the counter and something metal-sounding clanks onto the stove.

I hear a soft sob, then a sniffle. A weird smell wafts downstairs. At first, I wonder what the smell is, then when a high-pitched whistle wheezes from the kitchen, I realize that my dad is making tea. None of us Brewers drink tea often. I never do; I've never cared for tea.

I silently get up and sneak up the stairs to see why in God's name Dad is having tea at two in the morning. He doesn't know that I'm there, but I see him through the ajar door that leads into the kitchen. The sight almost turns my stomach.

Dad is sipping tea, looking at photos and actually crying. Tears are running softly down his face, his eyes are bloodshot, and his lips tighten every once in a while. He pulls tissues out of a box and every once in a while wipes his face…but just keeps crying.

_Good Lord_, I mime to myself and head back downstairs. I lie there for a couple of hours, wondering if this is the thing Sandy's talking about.

Hopefully he won't start cracking up and poring over pictures of Iraq and all. He's a strong guy, I tell myself, drifting off. After all, he freely chose to join the Marines; it's not like anyone forced him into it.

No, it's doubtful he'd start freaking out with this post-traumatic business now. That would be something Simon would do, not Dad.

* * *

It feels a bit strange not rushing off to work on a week morning, but I am getting used to it. Sandy, the boys, and I join Dad for lunch the next day. Dad's back to his normal self, thank God and no signs of the pictures appear anywhere. It's as if last night never happened for him.

It's also as if he never helped me lose my last job. I still don't bring it up because I'd rather not get into a fight with him just then in front of Sandy or the boys.

Aaron seems a bit subdued and keep staring at me with wide, almost frightened eyes. Dad and Sandy chatter with each other and with Micheal. Micheal licks up the last of his jello and grins at all of us with a sticky, jello-streaked mouth

"That cherry jello was great, ehhh?" Dad tickles him under the chin. Micheal giggles.

Aaron doesn't eat much, but looks at Sandy, then at me rather nervously. I smile at him, wondering why he's treating me like almost a stranger. His mouth twitches, but doesn't lift into any smile. In fact, he does look a bit frightened as he stares at me.

"Good pizza, huh, son?" I ask him, hoping he'll get the message that I'm his father and not some weird imposter. He nods, then looks down and eats the last of the pepperoni pieces on his plate. Then he leans close to Sandy, who is still chatting with Dad. It's as if Sandy and Aaron want to push me away once again.

"Oh, hey, Martin…" Dad looks at me in a pause of conversation. "I know Eric tried to set you up with a university team…I'm sorry it didn't pan out, so I'll ask around and see if I find any openings in that field…see if they're interviewing…I can't make any promises…it'll take a while to get on a team for starters, but perhaps you could interview for a position as an assistant to a team office or a coach at any of the high schools or colleges around here."

I start to glare at Dad, but realize it's better than nothing and certainly better than the crap job I had before, so I nod.

"Sure, Dad…" I say.

"Meanwhile," Dad continues, wiping his mouth, then Micheal's mouth. "You can start scanning the help wanted ads in the newspaper and do some scouting around yourself…do you have your resume updated?"

"Not yet," I say. "But I'll get to that." I hope Dad drops the subject, but he doesn't.

"Good…make multiple copies of it and look up those job openings, whatever is closest to your field and make sure the salary will be enough to cover your expenses and that of the boys…" Dad goes on.

I'm tempted to tell him all right already, to shut up about this job hunt that he's now commissioned me on, but once again, I see Aaron's huge blue eyes staring at me in that nervousness as he crawls into Sandy's lap and huddles close to her. What is that boy's problem? I wonder. I'm his father.

As Dad gets up and starts clearing away the dishes, he adds, "I'm not sure how long I can continue picking up the tab for all of you…one day I won't be here…" he looks over at Sandy and the boys with a worried expression. I wonder why.

Sandy gets up also, still holding Aaron and starts helping Dad with the dishes. As she does so, she sort of gives Dad a reassuring pat on his arm.

"Sure, Dad," I say, fighting the urge to snap at both Dad and Sandy.

I also have to fight to urge to tell Sandy to put Aaron down, to stop catering to his foolish little scared stares. She needs to teach him that I'm his dad.

And I really do want to be out from under Dad's roof…and in my own house with just Sandy, the boys and me. Then maybe my own son won't treat me like some alien the way he's been doing since I've come back.

It's mid-afternoon when I am downstairs alone, Sandy's out with the boys at Mommy and Me and Dad's out food shopping that I see a message from Ruthie on my phone.

"_Hi, Martin_…_hope things are tolerable at home for you_…_I do hope you can leave Sandy real soon_…_I miss you already_. _I just hope your dad doesn't stick you in another miserable job_. _Dad's still trying to get you into baseball_…" Something snaps in the background that sounds like a compact mirror.

"_He's also getting something for Simon at a Hollingsworth Studio_…_Simon won't even have to go through any interview_…_I just hope he starts showing some appreciation, especially once he gets the job, so he can get out of those crappy little temp jobs he's been bouncing around in_…_it's been like what_…_two years since he graduated from that artsy college? Hey, Mom's coming up, so I gotta go_…_hope you can come over again soon_…_we all love having you're here_. Ruthie clicks off.

I smile at the sound of her chirpy voice. I really do need to find a way to be with my sons, yet also be with Ruthie. I don't want to be the one who breaks up my own family. If anyone splits, it has to be Sandy. Maybe if I get a job in the ball teams and she doesn't like my going pro, she'll leave me…I can still see my sons regularly, but I can be with Ruthie. Sandy knows I have my rights as a father.

I know I've promised Ruthie we could marry soon and move to Hawaii, but I'm really not sure how long this could take. I know she wants to get out of that house as badly as I want to escape Dad. I'll have to see how the job situation pans out.

* * *

The next few days are rather dull and uneventful. I circle a few ads in the papers to placate Dad, but nothing in there appeals to me…nothing with baseball or softball. Mostly it's dull stuff like clerical work and some library positions.

A lot of temp agencies list in there also. It's mostly the crap jobs Simon's been working in. I find myself wondering if Simon will take the job with that Hollingsworth Studios that Ruthie told me about. I half-hope he gets hired, then fired. Only half, however because if Simon does go back to temp work, Eric will just keep wasting time looking around for Simon when he could be getting me something.

Aaron is slowly warming up to me again. Micheal, however, sits close to me one evening when Sandy and I are watching the news. I tousle his light brown hair and he grins up at me. I also touch Aaron's shoulder. At least he doesn't pull away and he's no longer giving me the nervous, wide-eyed stares.

"Daddy…" he says. "Where did you go that other day? Mommy and Grandpa missed you."

"I was visiting friends of the family," I tell him.

"How come you got real mad that day, then leff' and not tell us?" Aaron asks. "I was 'cared…it made me cry a lot."

"I'm sorry about that, son," I told him, pulling him close. "I was having a bad day that day…even grown-ups have bad days and sometimes fight…I didn't mean to scare you…you understand, don't you?" I ruffle his hair.

Thankfully he nods and leans into my lap alongside Micheal. Sandy glances over at me for a minute, then back at the television. Mercifully, she doesn't use Aaron's questions as an excuse to get on my case again.

It's mid-week in the mid-afternoon when I'm downstairs, Dad's at work, and Sandy's upstairs showering when I get a chance to call Ruthie again, let her know I'm thinking about her. I have a few free minutes since Sandy just started her shower.

I reach Ruthie on her cell. She goes upstairs and closes the door so neither her mom, sister, niece, or brothers would come nosing around and eavesdrop.

"Hi, Martin…it's so good hearing your voice," she gushes.

I tell her a bit about Dad's attempts to land interviews for a job for me and about a few things at home.

"Wow…my dad can do better…he's still looking around, so you won't even have to go through the interview…unlike your dad, my dad sees how special you are."

"Yeah…and get this…my dad says to update my resume and to look at the ads myself…I've done a few, and even called three places, but so far they haven't called me back." I heave a gusty sigh.

"So, Martin…have you figured out how you'll leave Sandy yet?" Ruthie asks.

"Not yet…I want to make it so she leaves me and is the one who breaks up this family…I don't want anyone, especially Dad or Sandy to blame me when this sham of a marriage breaks up…" I tell her.

"Simon's still chummy with Sandy…I think they still call each other…I hinted to him that you and Sandy are having trouble…I'm sure they're complaining to each other about you…I think Simon suspects about us…"

"What?" I sit up. "I hope that little rat isn't pumping Sandy for dirt on me…"

"I basically threatened him to be quiet about us…I think I scared him enough…you know how easily scared Simon gets…I don't think he'll go too far…he's actually kind of afraid of you…when I hung up, he kind of said, _Ruthieee_ in this little squeak of a voice he gets when he's about to spaz out."

"Good," I say.

Because if that punk tries any tricks on me with Sandy, I'll kick his butt the next time he comes home. I mean really, so he'll be too terrified of me to even risk ever crossing me again.

"I told him I'd kill him if he ratted us out to anyone before I hung up and he went into his spaz-squeak," Ruthie adds. We both laugh.

The door is ajar and without realizing it, I am near the steps to the kitchen. But I'm surprised when I see a shadow at the door.

"Martin…" It's my dad's voice. I wonder what he's doing home so early.

"What?' I hiss up at him. I gesture to the phone since he didn't seem to get the hint that I'm on the phone.

"Huh?" Ruthie asks.

"Oh…my dad just walked in…I gotta go." I click off and silence the ringer, so he can't eavesdrop any more than he already has.

"Martin…can we talk?" Dad comes down the stairs as if I invited him.

"Sure," I snap. "So you can explain to me why you're eavesdropping on my private conversation." I'm getting fed up with Dad again.

"A private conversation with Ruthie, I get the feeling," Dad sits down and motions me to sit.

"So?" I remain standing and cross my arms across my chest. "I can't have a conversation with an old friend without my dad spying on me and butting in?"

"I overheard because your door was open…and it sounds like there is more than just a simple 'friendship' going on between the two of you," Dad peers at me. "And is this Simon you are calling a 'rat'?"

"Yes, because that's what he is…if you must know, he's having this 'friendship' with my wife, so I'm not the only guilty party here…in fact, Simon's started this whole mess…I suspect he's the one who is calling Sandy and dropping dirty little hints about me."

"And you're convinced that you are entirely blameless in this whole feud between you and Simon?" Dad presses. He really doesn't know when it's time to stop.

"Well, Simon's filthy shenanigans are not my fault!" My voice rises and I am growing more and more angry by the minute. "Whose side are you on, anyway…some promiscuous sleazebag who's slept with every girl on his college campus or your own son."

"Martin!" Dad raises his voice too and sits up. "I know you don't get along with Simon, but please remember that he is a human being, not to mention the Camden's son and Ruthie's brother…"

"And that makes him less of a sleaze?" I sneer. "Hey, often blood relatives don't always meld…sometimes the turkey's egg does get into the duckyard…take a look at my own mother…"

"What does your mother…?" Dad stands and just stares at me, still not getting it.

"My mother was a screw-up…yet she gave birth to me…yes, I know you made all sorts of excuses for her and covered for her…and I'm carrying on this fine Brewer family tradition…I tell people that she died of cancer…I've cleansed myself of that past my mother had…I'm becoming better and the Camdens are helping me in that direction, including Ruthie…"

Dad has paled. "Martin…Martin…stop…" he puts up his hand. I glare at it, fighting the urge to slap his hand down.

"Stop what?" I demand. "Stop doing better than Mom ever did…doing better than Simon…or anyone who just messed up their lives…what about you and the way you've starting moping at night over your Iraq stint?"

"Just stop speaking right this second!" Dad's angry now…and I think hurt. Good God, he's hurt that I've told the truth about our family and about Simon. He still doesn't see the real slime that Simon truly is.

"You really don't know what it was like not only for me, but for thousands of others in that hot, scary desert…bombs going off…people being killed right by your side…dead bodies all over…I still live with it every day…it's not something you just get over, Martin…I have the images inside of me…I have the nightmares…recently, I felt like I was going back to my chaotic childhood…Martin, my own parents were alcoholics…my dad died when I was four…Mom drank herself into the streets…my younger brother died in a stabbing…I was alone and in a series of foster homes…"

"Oh, God…" I'm a bit flabbergasted, but also wonder why Dad now feels the need to go into the gory details of his long-ago past. I know he didn't have an easy childhood, but I never really understood all the details.

"Dad, why are you telling me all this stuff about your childhood? I understand Iraq was hard…I know how you feel about that…I heard you the other night making tea…I've heard you crying…"

"No, you don't know how I feel, Martin," Dad says, his voice grim and quiet. "Because I made sure I stayed and raised you after your mother died…then if not me, then your aunt…your aunt and I made sure you'd never have to experience the abandonment I did growing up…that's also why I never wanted you to join the military…I didn't want you to ever know how I felt…"

"Well, it's a bit too late for that, Dad," I tell him off. "Because by coming back from Iraq and failing to understand me and what I was going through with Sandy's pregnancy, you abandoned me…you just gave me this big lecture on how I should act as if Aaron was the biggest joy of my life…you accused me of being selfish when I tried to explain to you how I never even liked Sandy and didn't want this baby…tried to tell you that my thing was Sandy was a big mistake and I never wanted to see her or the baby again…but you didn't pay attention…"

"I did…I saw what neither Eric or Annie saw…"

"NO, YOU DIDN'T!" I yell, furious at how dense Dad is being. "Eric is a far, far better father than you have ever been and ever will be!" I turn on my heel, not wanting to be in the same room with my father.

"Martin…hey…" Dad's voice has an edge and he's trembling slightly.

"Save it, Beau…" I am so out of here.

I head upstairs and go outside, seeing if Dad will come after me. But he doesn't. I go and kneel behind a hedge and wait. He does come out, but he doesn't look for me. He gets into his car and drives away from the house. I start to wonder where he's going, but realize I don't care.

I go back inside, head downstairs and throw as many of my essential things as I can into my overnight bag. Sandy should be out of the shower by now. The boys are up there with her. I don't intend to spend another night here with a father who repeatedly abandons me when I need him.

I need Eric…Eric never has abandoned me in my time of need. But I need Sandy and the boys to come with me since I know my father might try to poison my own family against me.

Once packed, I head upstairs to Sandy and the boys. Sandy's on the phone, talking in a low voice.

"Martin's coming up…I have to go now," she tells whoever is on the other line.

Just who is she talking to and why does she want to keep it a big secret from me? I huff up the stairs.

"Martin…" Sandy stands. "What happened…you're flushed…"

"Get yourself and the boys packed…" I tell her. "We're leaving this place."

"Leaving?" Sandy gasps. Aaron looks at me with those wide eyes again and shrinks against his mother. Micheal also looks up at me.

"Yes, leaving…I've had it with Dad…this entire place…"

"Where're we going?" Sandy asks. "What's going on?"

"Dad's impossible, that's what!" I tell her. "Do I really have to spell that out for you? Do you see how he treat me? We're going to the Camdens…we'll be better off there."

"Martin, no!" Sandy objects. "They can't take us all in…we can't ask them to…"

"Eric and Annie have told us we can!" I inform her. "We can stay together over there…they're good people…they'll help us…"

Aaron starts to shiver, then cry quietly much to my renewed annoyance.

"You're upsetting Aaron!" Sandy shouts at me. "And you can go, but we're not going with you!"

"Great, so split up this family…" I snarl.

"Preeeze…'top…" Aaron whimpers, shrinking even further into Sandy. Sandy picks him up, ready to mollycoddle the boy.

"Hey…hey…" I wave at him. "Calm down…" I try not to shout at him since I know he'll cry even harder. "Hey…stop crying…it's all right…"

In an attempt to calm Aaron down, I try to touch his tear-streaked face, but his little mouth closes suddenly and he actually swallows…the boy just _swallows_ in fear of his own dad and buries his face into Sandy's shoulder. I stare, puzzled and a bit shocked at this bizarre reaction from my son.

Sandy glares at me and backs away. Micheal picks that minute to join in the crying. Unlike Aaron, who whimpers pathetically, Micheal cries in loud squalls and reaches up toward the Aaron-Sandy body mold.

"Martin…go…get out of here…leave us…"

"Sandy…" I say, trying to be more patient.

"Go!" Sandy screams. "Go anywhere from here…go to the Camdens if you want…I don't care…just go!"

I stand for a minute, then realize she is not going to budge forward. She just leans down and picks up a squalling Micheal and holds him close to Aaron.

I know I can't force her to go, so I just heave a disgusted sigh, glare at all three of them, my traitors of a family, then go. I leave this pathetic excuse of a house and head to a real home…the Camdens.

There, I know neither Annie or Eric will ever abandon me…nor will Ruthie. Unlike the blood family I was unlucky enough to be cursed with, my adopted family on Alder Drive are not traitors.


	8. Chapter 8

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**8**

"So…Halloween is a night of games and fun, but only as long as it's never turned into any celebration of Satan," Annie makes me smile that Halloween night as she tells all five of the kids what Halloween is truly all about.

The Camdens do celebrate Halloween, but don't allow the kids to go trick or treating or anything like that…they go to a church party. This year, I'll be going with them.

On the drive there, I ask Lucy, "They're similar to the church socials, right?"

"Yeah…they say a special prayer at the beginning, then the kids play games and get treats. They also carve out pumpkins."

"I think you'll have fun, Martin," Eric smiles at me. "We treat it more like a celebration of the harvest instead of celebrating evil things like ghosts, witches, and devils."

"Cool," I say. "There's too much of that kind of stuff going on in the world…especially people trying witchcraft…and those Harry Porter or whatever books and movies don't help…they're also leading too many kids astray."

"Satan's work," Annie humphs. "And to think that woman who wrote the books is making millions of turning kids to witchcraft…"

We make it to the church party in a short few minutes. All in all, it's a bit dull, but the kids seem to have a good time. Ruthie and I are able to talk a bit in private.

"So…what's the game plan with Sandy?" Ruthie asks me in a low voice. "You have a plan in place for her to "cheat on" you?"

"Almost…" I say. "Do you know if Simon's coming down soon?"

"No…and our next major family gathering isn't until Thanksgiving," Ruthie tells me.

Ruthie and I decided to try to get some way to gain "evidence" that Sandy's having an "affair" with Simon, so then I can file for divorce on the grounds of adultery. That way, I come out clean and no one has any excuse to pin a bad rap on me.

The only way to do it is to get Simon down here to Glen Oak, get Sandy and Simon to meet somewhere so I can get the evidence of them together and present it in court. And since Sandy already has her unsavory past, any smart judge would believe the adultery charge, so it can come out in my favor and no one can blame me, the wronged husband, for what goes down.

"Well, did you try calling him again?" I sigh.

"Yes…and he doesn't pick up if he sees one of our numbers," Ruthie tells me peevishly. "You know how it is with Simon…screening our calls like a coward…"

"Well, think up some 'emergency,'" I tell her.

"Like what?" Ruthie demands.

"I don't know…lie if you have to."

"Like tell him somebody died, so then he comes down here, finds out that I lied?" Ruthie snaps. "He might be a messed-up, slutty nut job, but he's not stupid, Martin…as it is, he doesn't trust us."

People are starting to drift over to us and one couple looks at us curiously so I tell her, "Let's just drop this tonight…"

"Then you should call some other guy then," Ruthie keeps it up. I stare at her a minute, then gesture around.

"People are beginning to look…" I hiss. I'd forgotten how thick-skulled and unperceptive she can be.

Ruthie finally gets what I have to spell out for her and falls silent for a change. I move away from her and closer to the front.

Lucy conducts a raffle with the adult members of the congregation while the kids play games in another room. I can tell she enjoys being the center of the raffle, the star of the show. She's glowing up there.

Lucy's not the brightest bulb in the universe, but unlike Sandy, she doesn't sit around crying or whining. Sure, she sometimes complains, but she also moves and does things about it.

Come to think of it, she's different from Ruthie in that aspect. Ruthie's doing nothing with her life; she's just waiting for me to do all the work. I suspect Lucy doesn't just leave others with all the work.

I watch Lucy and the raffle winnings as I think this over. Annie wins a pair of earrings while I win a biblical calendar for the coming year. We also look at the pumpkins the kids have carved out. Savannah's carved hers into a weird thing with an open-looking mouth with a million jaggy teeth, two noses, and almost no eyes.

Some of the other adults laugh while Lucy sighs and rolls her eyes. At least Sam and David made their pumpkins faces normal-looking with the proper grinning mouth and all.

Halloween night wraps up quickly and once again, Eric lets me sleep in the same guest bedroom I slept in before. I thank him and go to sleep soon after my head hits the pillow.

I sleep late on November first, then slowly get out of bed to get something to eat. Ruthie's there, so it's a nice breakfast. We're alone after Annie goes back upstairs to get Savannah and the boys' school supplies, so Ruthie and I have time for a quick few kisses.

Lucy and Eric are in the dining room with Savannah, quizzing her on math flash cards and the boys are working on a science assignment when there is a knock on the door. Eric answers.

It's Sandy, to our surprise. Ruthie and I quickly pull away and Ruthie starts to scoot out of the kitchen through the back door. Sandy, I guess has made it past Eric and enters the kitchen. I think she sees the back of Ruthie retreating and stares a minute, but says nothing about her.

"Sandy…" I say. "What are you doing here? Did Eric invite you in?"

"I'm here to give you these…" Sandy hands me a small stack of official-looking papers.

"What's this?" I ask.

I can hear Eric and Lucy whispering in the dining room; I know they are also wondering what this is about.

"Divorce papers," Sandy tells me. "I've filed for divorce, Martin. Our marriage is over."

"Whaaat?!" I exclaim. "Sandy, you can't…"

But she is already turned away from me and is walking out the door, leaving through the front.

"Sandy, get back here," I demand, following. "HEY!"

Unfortunately, I have to go through the hallway, living room, and foyer, passing the dining room to follow her to the front door, so Lucy, Eric, and the kids witness all this. Sam and David laugh and I glare at them.

"It's over, Martin!" Sandy calls back as she goes out the front door.

"What about our family…the boys?" I yell after her.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Annie coming downstairs with Kaylee. I know both are staring at me with curious eyes.

"They're with me…they're better off without all the yelling between us…" Sandy says as she gets into a car I know is Rose's. "We'll make the custody arrangements in court…goodbye…"

"Hey, Sandy…" I call. But she ignores me and closes the car door, which makes me mad. HEEYYY! It's _NOT_ over for me!"

I start to run down the sidewalk, waving and yelling after her, but the car just gears up and leaves me right there, so the next thing I know she's gone…Rose is driving; I see her profile in the driver's side of the window.

"CRRRRAAAAAAP!" I scream.

I'm fuming. I suspect Rose has encouraged her in this mutiny. Rose has always been a troublemaker. It's fitting that she used to date Simon.

"Son…what happened?" Eric is behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I heave a gusty sigh and tell him, "Sandy's filed for divorce…DIVORCE!"

"Oh…that's too bad," Eric says. "Let's go inside and we can talk more…I'll clear the boys and Savannah out and you and I can talk this over…Lucy can help also…come on, son…"

Eric looks over across the street. I follow his gaze and see a little old couple is pruning the bushes, but I can tell they've been eavesdropping on this little scene. I want to tell the old bats to mind their own business, but with Eric there, I refrain and just glare at them.

Eric steers me around toward the house. I nod and follow Eric back inside. True to his word, Eric does send the kids upstairs to study by themselves. Lucy, Eric, and I sit down at the dining room table.

Lucy offers to counsel Sandy into keeping our marriage together while Eric offers his support to me. We talk for several hours. I tell them what I suspect about Rose's role in this.

"And probably Simon talked Sandy into this…" Lucy mutters.

Eric sighs gustily. "I thought Simon had ended his entanglement with Rose…I hope he's not back into her messes…and I hope Sandy's not telling them things that should be kept between the two of you…"

"I hope not either!" I say. I could kill Simon for this.

"I should call Simon and tell him…" Lucy starts to stand up, her face an indignant red.

"No, Luce…" Eric stops her. "We know he wouldn't pick up if he knew it was you…or me…that's just the thing he'd want…for you to call him all angry, so he can just ignore your message."

"Well, we can't just sit by and do nothing while he and Rose help Sandy destroy Martin's family!" Lucy snaps.

"We're going to do something…" Eric tries to placate her and motions her to sit back down. She sits.

"What?" she demands impatiently.

"You can talk to Sandy…tell her how much Martin still loves her and the boys…let her know that it wouldn't solve any problems for her to run away…that she doesn't want those boys growing up in a broken home…" Eric looks over at me. "I can offer you support, Martin…I hope you can consider any advice I give you…can you do that?"

"Sure…" I nod.

Anything to keep Sandy from pulling something on me. And I certainly don't want Rose or Simon giving her any brilliant ideas on ripping me off or keeping me from my sons.

If Sandy and I split up, I want it to be fair for me…no making me look like the villain in all this…and definitely not me taking the rap for any nonsense Sandy, Rose, or Simon try to pull.

"…Martin really does love you," I hear Lucy telling Sandy over the phone a few days later. I'm listening by the door discreetly. "He misses the boys also…he really does want to work this all out with you…he's sorry for his mistakes…those boys deserve a father…do you want to be the cause of them growing up in a broken home…no father?" she pauses.

"Well, call me back as soon as you get this message and we'll set up an appointment…everything will be confidential…private…okay? Just call me and we can talk…I really care about both of you and want you two to work this out and save your family for the kids' sake."

Drat, I guess Sandy's screening the calls. I'm sure she's telling Rose all the gory details of our fights and is pinning the blame on me. I just hope Lucy can talk some sense into her and get her to see that what she's doing isn't right.

I head over to the kitchen where Annie's making dinner. She's putting together a delicious pot roast meal with a collard green and rice casserole on the side. I offer to help.

"I'm almost done," she smiles at me as she takes the casserole out of the oven. "Perhaps you could set the table."

I nod and do so, setting out everything in the dining room. As I am putting out the glasses, Savannah comes by and stares at me a minute. I stare back.

"Did you move in?" she asks.

"Kind of…why?" I ask.

"What happened with you and Sandy?" she asks. "I thought you married her…you live with Arrow and Michael…don't they miss you?"

I fight the urge to tell her to mind her business and shut up, but resist that temptation. "Well, Sav….Sandy and I are having a few problems in our marriage that we're trying to work out…Sandy doesn't want to be married anymore and I do…so your mommy's talking to her to get her to realize how much I love her and how important family is."

"Just like Daddy didn't want to be married to Mommy anymore…he left her when I was little and Rick was tiny…they got into this big fight and Mommy threw all kinds of stuff at him and screamed…then she threw all this stuff like the dishes and clothes outside on the front lawn…she even broke the libbing room window…and Daddy packed up a bunch of suitbases and lef' the house we used to live in…" she shakes her head.

"But nobody talked to him or Mommy…so he never came back…so we had to move here…Mommy didn't have enough money to keep our other house and raise us alone."

"Well, your mommy will try to get Sandy to work things out with me…and unlike your daddy, I'll never leave my sons," I tell her. I ruffle her fine, light-brown hair and re-enter the kitchen.

"Funny how her face looks so like Kevin's, yet her hair is just like Lucy's," I comment to Annie. "Table's all set."

"She does look like her father," Annie says as I help her carry the dishes into the dining room. "I just hope Eric and I can help Lucy raise her to be stable and moral…and maybe less impulsive than our own daughters…I think Savannah is too much for Lucy to handle herself…I think she'll always need Eric and me to help her, especially with the kids…" she sighs, then calls everyone to dinner.

* * *

I am just getting out of bed the next morning when I hear the phone ringing, then Eric answering. "Yeah…" I hear him say as I get dressed. "When was it? How bad? Okay, Mom…yes, Annie and I will check out flights…we'll be there as soon as we can…what?" He pauses and listens.

"So, Matt already knows and is coming up…and Sarah…what about their kids? Oh," Eric kind of says this last bit flatly. "Yes, I'll let everyone in the family know…bye, Mom…see you soon…"

There's a brief flurry in the bedroom as I hear Annie asking Eric what happened. It seems as if the Colonel had a heart attack and is in the hospital.

It's confirmed a few minutes later once we're down for breakfast.

Eric is the one who makes the announcement about the Colonel's heart attack.

"Matt and Sarah are already on the way up from New York City," Annie adds. "Eric, did you reach either Simon or Mary?"

Eric's jaw tightens and he shakes his head. "Neither one of them picked up…but Mom says she left messages with both of them."

"I'm going with you," Lucy says.

"Me too," Ruthie chimes in.

"We can't all go," Lucy glares at Ruthie pointedly. "Somebody has to stay here and watch the kids and you have your daughter, Ruthie…maybe this can be the time you can learn to take care of her and be a real mother instead of just handing Kaylee over to Mom and Dad all the time…"

"I take care of Kaylee!" Ruthie snipes. Rick starts to cry. "And talk about being a real mother…why don't you stay and shut your own son up for once?"

Kaylee, who is toddling over to Annie, starts to cry also. She clings to Annie, looking around with tear-filled, frightened eyes.

"Why don't you shut up yourself, Ruthie?" Sam chimes in. "You're the one who makes Kaylee cry all the time…" he pokes Kaylee, who shrinks away from him, then Ruthie's butt.

"MOOOOM! DAAAD!" Ruthie screams. "Did you see what Sam just did and what he just said?"

"That's ENOUGH out of you kids!" Eric bellows, glaring at Ruthie, then Sam.

Annie picks up a still-crying Kaylee and softly _shhh_'s her. Kaylee's cries soften into tiny whimpers as she buries her head in Annie's shoulder. Lucy is holding Rick, whose crying seems to have stopped.

"Eric…I think we should all go…kids included…" Annie says.

"That's an idea…" Eric nods.

I wonder if they'll invite me along, but also know that if Sandy pushes this divorce through, I might have to appear in court as early as next week. It would look bad if I pulled a no-show at the very first court date. As if Eric and Annie sense my thoughts, they look over at me.

"Martin…I'd invite you along…" Eric says. "But unless I can be sure Sandy won't press through with her divorce…"

"Yeah…I was thinking if Sandy goes to court, I want to be there also," I nod.

"Perhaps you can try to work it out with Sandy while we're gone," Annie puts her hand on my shoulder and gives me a small hug.

"I'd like to try that," I tell them. Lucy beams at me. "I really do want my family to stay together."

"What a good husband and father you are, Martin," Lucy gushes.

Plans decided, we all rush our ways to get ready…I to head back to Dad's for a few days and the Camdens to head to Buffalo. I really don't know what kind of mood my dad will be in, but realize I really don't care what he thinks.

I'll just try to plan to stay out of his way for a few days if I have to so he doesn't get on my case. I just hope he doesn't have the nerve to try to blame me for Sandy's filing for divorce.

The Camdens leave by early afternoon. I wave to them as I head back to my dad's house.

Dad's house is empty when I arrive. Sandy's made good on her threat to leave and apparently has taken the boys with her. Dad's even not there. At first, I think he's just at work, but I find a note on my bed in Dad's handwriting telling me that he'll be out of town all weekend and next week on a landscaping business trip to Atlanta, Georgia.

At first, I'm relieved that neither Dad nor Sandy are here to nag me or start another fight with me. I watch a late afternoon football game on TV while downing a coke and having a bowl of potato chips.

But then, when I turn off the TV, it's too quiet. I've gotten used to the Camden's busy, full social house where I had good company. This house is too quiet...empty and lonely. It reminds me too much of my own lonely, empty childhood with Mom lost in her booze and drugs and Dad almost never home.

I decide to head back to the Camden house. I know no one will be there either, but lately I've felt much more at home there than here. I can even say I'm house-sitting for them; I know that will please them.

So, I put on my jacket, pick up my overnight bag, which I haven't unpacked and head back over there. But when I realize that the doors are all locked, I remember that they changed their locks last year and I don't have the new key.

"Drrrraat…" I mutter. Looks like I have no other option but to head back to Dad's and wait for their return.

* * *

I order a take-out pizza for dinner that night and watch the evening news on TV. Then I try reaching Sandy on her phone, but since she doesn't pick up, I leave her a message telling her to call me and about the Colonel's stroke. I ask her to also call Lucy back on her cell and that Lucy will be back in a few days.

But Sandy doesn't bother calling back all night. One person who does call me that night is Ruthie.

"Hi," I say when I know it's her. "How's your trip there?"

"All right," Ruthie says. "I'm upstairs and everyone else is either at the hospital or downstairs where they can't hear us…"

"Did they get hold of Mary and Simon…are they there?" I ask out of curiosity.

"They never reached Mary, so she's not there, as usual, but Simon's coming sometime tomorrow…it was Grandma Ruth who Simon actually called back," Ruthie tells me.

"It figures," I snark. "That is so…Simon…too rude to return his own dad's calls, but can return everyone else's calls…"

"Speaking of dads…" Ruthie says with a chuckle. "You'll never, ever guess what I found out about Simon on Halloween…" she pauses dramatically.

"What?" I say, my curiosity peaked.

Maybe his loose morals have finally, _finally_ caught up with him to bite him on the butt…with luck, he's gotten a girl pregnant and hopefully Annie and Eric are downstairs killing him now. It would be about high time.

"I was looking for Mom's pink pearl lipstick that night…after we came back from that Halloween stint at the church…" Ruthie tells me in a low, dramatic voice. "And I found this letter under a fake bottom…it was from Mom…Mom had an affair a long time ago…and Simon is the result of that affair…isn't that wild?" Ruthie giggles.

"Wow!" I say. "It sure explains a _lot_ about Simon!" No _wonder_ he's so weird!

"It does…" Ruthie keeps giggling and I have to chuckle also. "And no one knows about it but the two of us…even Simon doesn't know…he still thinks of Dad as his real dad…"

"My gee-osh…" I really crack up then, which makes Ruthie giggle all over again. Once we catch our breaths, I ask, "So…are you going to tell Simon?"

"I don't know…not right now…maybe at a later time…I have to figure out how I can do it without admitting that I was snooping…maybe Mom could slip up and admit her affair…"

"Maybe one of us could 'accidentally' trick her into admitting it…" I suggest. "God, Annie the minister's wife having an affair…" I am a little surprised at Annie's indiscretion.

"I can," Ruthie tells me. "Mom always did put on these airs…she and Lucy are alike in that way…they both think they're above everyone else, and yet they pull their share of immoral crap too."

We laugh again. I love that with Ruthie, I can laugh so freely and we can joke around. Ruthie's so fun.

"Maybe about tricking Mom into fessing up…" Ruthie giggles. "But later…"

"Yeah…later…" I agree.

* * *

Sandy does not return any of my calls the next day either. Unlike Ruthie, who is easy to talk to, trying to talk to Sandy is like pulling twisted wisdom teeth from the back of the mouth.

Saturday drags on and is boring. I do some reading for school, then watch another football game and the news and get take-out again, this time Chinese. My cash is running low, so I use my credit card.

I also leave Sandy several more messages, but she ignores them. I'm getting peeved because I suspect she is getting my messages, but is ignoring my calls.

After I eat, I try once more. I get the unpleasant surprise of Rose picking up instead of Sandy. I don't want to talk to Rose at all, but I try to be civil to her.

"Is Sandy there?" I ask her.

"Hello to you, Martin Brewer," Rose sneers.

"Hey!" I snap. "I'm really not in the mood for games tonight, Rose…and why are you picking up Sandy's phone anyway?"

"I guess saying hello is beyond you, and why I answered Sandy's cell is moot at this point…the fact that Sandy hasn't returned your calls should tell you something…she doesn't want to talk to you."

"Well, I want to discuss some things with her…did she ever consider that…or are you playing guard for her?"

"You got the divorce papers, Martin," Rose tells me as if I'm stupid. I hate how she talks down to me. "Anything you want to hash over with her, you'll have to do in court with the attorneys. She does not want to talk to you tonight or over the phone…she already has her attorney who is walking through the divorce and custody papers with her."

"Custody…?" I splutter.

"Yes, custody, Martin," Rose once again sounds as if she thinks I'm this retarded kindergartener. "You know, who the boys will live with…"

"I know what custody is, Rose!" I shout. "I'm not stupid…and neither you or Sandy are doing the boys any favors by depriving them of their father and breaking up my family…"

"A 'father' who carries on like you do and who cheats on their mother they can do without," Rose snaps back angrily. "They're better off being 'deprived of' a 'father' who treats their mother like shit, then yells and scares them."

"I'm sure you and Simon are having a good laugh at my expense…don't deny it either…you and him are still in touch and you've sure helped Sandy along to destroy my family…"

"Simon actually has nothing to do with Sandy's wise decision to leave you," Rose tells me. "Sure, Simon and I have stayed in touch and he's also worried about the boys and Sandy…but the person who's destroying your own family is you, Martin."

"Wait until I get my lawyer, Rose," I snarl. "Reverend Camden is finding me one right now…he'll find a very good one who'll force Sandy to at least share custody with me…I'll sue for custody if I have to…and with Sandy's promiscuous past, no sane judge will grant Sandy full custody…"

"Too late for that, Martin," Rose says in this calm tone that takes me off guard a minute.

I'd hoped my informing her of my rights and that I'm getting an attorney would scare her into backing off, but now I see she hasn't budged a bit.

"You can huff all about your "rights," and about Sandy's private life, but my mom can attest also that Sandy's a good mother despite whatever happened in her past…and most of us, including most of Glen Oak know and can attest to how you avoided Sandy and didn't want anything to do with Aaron in the first few months of his life…we know how you tried to avoid the responsibilities of fatherhood…even your own dad can testify to it…"

"Leave my father out of this…" I hiss.

"No, he's already in it…he's come over here a few times and talked with us…he agrees that the boys would be better off with Sandy." Rose delivers this with this eerie calm satisfaction that makes my blood rise to three hundred degrees and start boiling.

"So, accept it and move on, Martin…I think you and Sandy are better off split…it's not good for the boys and I think you and Sandy would be happier…you can go to Ruthie and continue your affair with her while Sandy can start her life over again and build a real family life for the boys…my mom and I are helping her do that…she's started working part-time already…she and I are looking for a more permanent place…if you really care about your sons and Sandy, you'll accept the end of that marriage and move on and let Sandy and the boys move on and start over…we're actually saving the messages you're leaving, so if we need them for court, we'll have them…goodbye, Martin."

"HEEY…!" I start to yell, furious, but she hangs up on me rudely.

I snap my phone closed and throw it down. Who the _frick_ does she think she is?! I fume. And I _know_ that creep Simon has had a hand in the destruction of my family. I am sick, sick, _sick_ of Simon as well as sick of Rose and sick of my dad.

My traitor father…Sandy and Rose sure used that to their advantage that my own father is disloyal to his own son. All three of them disgust me to no end…and Simon really repulses me; that boy turns my stomach in a way no one has.

I hate that piece of trash…I really do. And as Ruthie told me, Simon's illegitimate trash…spawning out of an adulterous, probably filthy affair.

I actually feel bile rising in my throat just thinking about the disgusting result of that affair, so I get up at one point and get a glass of cold water to wash it down.

I wonder if Simon's real father is an ugly, horrid rat like Simon…maybe his real father is promiscuous and immoral and that's where Simon's inherited his crap from…I just know he didn't get it from the Camdens.

Maybe he inherited a bit of his promiscuous habits a bit from Annie's sin, but he sure does not look anything like Annie who is much more attractive. I suspect Annie is disappointed that her own son is so ugly. I wonder if Eric suspects the truth about Annie and Simon.

I don't know how long I sit fuming. It grows dark and I mechanically turn on a lamp. I feel sweaty, so I decide to take a shower.

I'm coming out of my shower when my cell rings. I'm feeling a bit calmer, so I hurry over and see Eric's cell number crop up. I pick up.

"Hi, Martin," it is Eric.

"Hi…how're things there?" I ask.

"I don't know…" Eric heaves a gusty sigh. I wonder if the Colonel died. But that notion is dispelled when Eric goes on to say, "The Colonel is in stable condition…he'll be out in a few days…"

"That's good," I say.

"That part is," Eric concedes. "Martin…I got some other news…something Annie and I found out about Ruthie…do you know that she's pregnant?"

"Wh-whaaaa…?" I say, stunned. Pregnant?! Pregnant? As in she's having a baby?

Eric sighs. "I guess you didn't know…but you should know that she's claiming that you are the father."

How's that for a cliffy? Hope you all enjoyed this! More drama to come soon!


	9. Chapter 9

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**9**

Ohhhh, crap! I mentally explode inside. How could Ruthie _DO THIS _to me? I feel as if I'm in a nightmare vortex that is repeating itself…it was the same nonsense with Sandy.

"Martin…is it true?" Eric asks.

I try to think fast, but my mind feels frozen with shock at this new betrayal.

"No," I find myself saying.

"So…Ruthie's not telling us the truth about who the father is?"

"No, she isn't," I say. "If you want to know, Eric, I've seen her at the promenade with several guys."

The lies slip off my tongue so easily. I'm actually surprised at how fast I cover myself. I know I don't want it to come out to Sandy or Rose or Simon that I got Ruthie pregnant. They'd really have a party on me then.

"Have you?" Eric sounds surprised. He's silent a minute, then mutters, "She told us she was going to parenting classes earlier this fall…maybe she lied about it…"

"Looks like it," I say. "I saw her on the way back from my night studying a few weeks ago…"

"Did you know any of the guys she was with…was she ever with anyone you recognized?" Eric asks.

"No…once I saw her with this guy with longish dark hair…they were in his car and seemed awfully close," I say for good measure. I'm sure her baby will come out with dark hair since both Ruthie and I have dark hair.

"Wheeessssshhhh…" Eric mutters. "I wonder why you didn't tell us sooner?"

"I didn't want to alarm you," I say quickly. "And I figured she'd learned from her experience with Mack and with having Kaylee, not to mention that she knows how you and Annie feel about pre-marital sex."

"I see…I understand," Eric sighs. "I'd thought she'd learned from her first mistake…Annie is not happy with Ruthie either…that means another baby for Annie and me to take care of…Ruthie really hasn't learned to take care of her first kid."

"No, she hasn't," I agree.

"Well, thanks for letting us know now," Eric says. "Annie and I will deal with Ruthie's lies and pre-marital sex once we get home again…goodnight, Martin."

"'Night…" I say as we hang up.

* * *

After sleeping until late Sunday morning, I slowly get up and make myself some scrambled eggs and hash browns. I'm still stunned at Ruthie's nerve. She'd told me that she was not on her ovulation the times we had sex and I believed her.

I debate calling her cell and blasting her. I even dial, but just get her voice mail on the first ring. I don't want to just leave a message.

I want to confront her directly about her treachery and to make sure that she gets the message that she can't play stupid games like that with me; I want to let her know that I've wised up since the days of sleeping with Sandy, so she can't pull a fast one on me. Disconnecting, I decide to call her later when she picks up.

A paper on some dull thing on one aspect of the federal government for one of my classes is due in a week that I haven't even begun yet, so I head to school, pick up a few books, decide what to do my paper on, and take notes for a few hours.

This whole mess with Sandy has me behind on a lot of my homework and reading for both of my classes, so I try to catch up on the three chapters of reading that's been assigned two weeks ago.

There's an exam this Friday, so I try to study for that, but it's hard since I am just reading the chapters for the first time all semester. I don't want either Sandy or Ruthie, let alone Simon or Rose cause me to flunk out of college.

It's hard to concentrate, though with all that's going on. I manage to get a little read, but after a while, it becomes pointless. Even the notes I've gotten so far are paltry.

Heaving a disgusted sigh, I slam my book shut and decide to head home. It's early Sunday afternoon, so the football games are coming on. I'm heading home to watch that.

It's a quiet afternoon, one that makes me wish I really did have my own apartment, my own house. In the late afternoon, I order a supreme pizza with everything on it.

By early evening, at the end of the third football game, my favorite team has won and I wind up jumping up and whooping loudly, then do a victory hopping dance.

"WAY TO GO!" I holler.

It's nice being able to just let loose without anyone criticizing me. I toast the air in front of the TV with my can of Gatorade and finish the last slice of my pizza.

As I wash it down with Gatorade, my phone vibrates. Ruthie's number shows up. At first, I debate not picking up since I'm rather angry at Ruthie, but then remember that I still want to tell her off about her scheme, so I pick up.

But it's Ruthie who starts first before I can even get a sound out.

"MARTIN!" she screeches at the top of her lungs. "How could you! How could you _LIE_…_LIE_ and deny that you're the father of my baby? HUH? You conniving snot, making up that story about me being with other guys at the promenade!"

"HEY!" I yell back, my irritation rising again. But she continues on, not wanting to give me a chance to say my piece.

"I thought we had something special here! But you've betrayed me, Martin…you _LIED_ about me behind my back and got me into a _HEAP_ of trouble with Mom and Dad…they think that I've been sleeping around with random guys like a slut…of couurrrse, they don't believe me; they think you're too saintly to ever lie…but now I see through you, Martin; you're a lying _CREEP_ and I _HATE_ you! I will _NEVER_ forgive you for this!"

"HEEYY!" I yell even louder. "HEEEY!" That shuts her up for a minute at least. "First off, where do you get off screaming at me like this and secondly, you lied also and claimed you were at the time of the month where you weren't ovulating, so stop pretending to be this lily-white innocent victim! Did you do this to trap me? That was pretty low of you, Ruthie! I was going to marry you, but now I'm not because of your little game!"

"No," Ruthie screeches, but her voice warbles. "I loved you, Martin and trusted you…I don't have anyone else I can trust…they've all either betrayed me or turned their backs on me…you KNOW that, Martin. I told you those things and trusted you and you betrayed that trust!"

"You were the one who betrayed me, Ruthie Camden!" I shout, feeling more and more furious at her. "I think you were jealous that I was with Sandy and that I'm close to your parents and you want to make me look bad to them, so of course you'd do something like this!"

"I was _NOT_!" Ruthie shrieks angrily back.

"Just SHUT UP!" I yell, not wanting to listen to her accusations and blame anymore.

"No, don't you dare tell me to shut up!" Ruthie screams. "You've really betrayed me…everyone has…my parents…Simon…even Matt has…I wasn't going to tell my parents about the baby until you'd left Sandy and you and I had gotten together…"

"I tried to tell you how to do that!" I tell her. "All you had to do was get Sandy in proximity with Simon, so I could divorce her for adultery…with the no-fault divorce, she would have still been able to give me the shaft…all you had to do was get Simon down here…"

"I tried to get Simon's help in this!" Ruthie yells. "But he wouldn't cooperate and wouldn't come down…all he did was tell me that I'd make a terrible mother and you'd make a lousy dad…he even had the NERVE to hint at an ABORTION…an ABORTION, Martin…"

"Wait, WAAAAIT!" I yell, not believing what she's telling me now. "You _TOLD_ Simon about the baby?"

"Yes…"

"I absolutely can_NOT_ believe you, Ruthie!" I shout, more furious than ever. "You're more stupid than I ever suspected!"

"Don't call me stupid!" Ruthie screams and I hear a crash as if she's thrown something. "You're the stupid one for getting me into this mess to begin with!"

"No, you got _YOURSELF_ into this mess!" I snipe. "And telling a rat like Simon sure iced the cake of your stupidity…you know he'll spread this around and use this to his advantage…you'd better not take his horrible advice to kill your own baby…"

"I won't…" Ruthie snaps. "I know I made a big mistake in telling him…he's the one who ratted us out…he told Mom and Dad about the baby…"

"God, Ruthie, your…empty head sure astounds me…see why you should have _NEVER_ told Simon…he's a horrid snitch who'll do _ANYTHING_ to make both of us look bad, especially me!" I am more furious with her than I am with even Sandy or my dad at this point. "It's over with us, Ruthie…you can forget about any plans we've made…"

"But what am I going to dooooo?" Ruthie wails. "I can't raise this baby alone…"

"Have your mom and dad bail you out of this mess like they've always had to do," I tell her coldly. "You and I are finished…"

"I didn't get pregnant by myself!" Ruthie protests. "And Simon's the one who snitched on both of us, not me! You should be yelling at Simon, not me…"

That gives me an idea…I remember that Simon is there at the grandparents' house.

"Okay, then I'll tell Simon off along with you…so, go get Simon," I demand. "I know he's there…don't tell him it's me…do you have enough of a brain to even carry out that simple task? Just tell him it's Sandy or one of his little weird friends from his arty little college, so he'll come…"

"I can't," Ruthie says.

"WHAT?" I say. "Just get the little bastard! It's the least you can do for me so I can tell the weasel off…don't tell me you're going to protect that scum who's not even your full brother…"

"He _LEFT_!" Ruthie shouts.

"He _WHAT_?"

"He left this morning…he and I got into an argument…" she tells me.

"LEFT!" I demand. "Left to go where?"

"Home, I guess!" Ruthie shouts. "Grandma Ruth called a while ago and said that Simon left her a message that he was heading back to his apartment…"

"Boy, are you something else…"

"It wasn't my fault!" Ruthie screams. "Simon burst in on me when I was reading a magazine and started accusing me of lying about him…he also dragged your name into it also…and I defended you, Martin…but the two little brats of the twins eavesdropped on our conversation last night and told him about Mom's affair and his not being Dad's son…he started yelling at me, accusing me of lying to my brothers, so I told him that Mom's affair was true to get him off my back…"

"Gosh, you're so empty-headed and thoughtless…" I say in amazement. "Just the thing to send somebody as unstable as Simon right over the edge…"

"I only did it to shut him up!" Ruthie protests thinly. "He wouldn't stop yelling at me; he just kept it up, accusing me and badmouthing you…he has a lot of nerve…he said you were a terrible father and husband…I had to stop him and just shut him up…it did for a while, but my parent came back just then so Simon went downstairs and started screaming at Mom and Dad and ratted me out about that, so they came after me too…"

"Why didn't you tell your dad to shut Simon up about his parentage?" I demand. "Eric could have gone and settled Simon down and ordered him to shut up about where he really came from…he could make Simon pay for spilling everything out like this…"

"That's when Simon left!" Ruthie fairly squeals. "Lucy had butted in at this point and joined in yelling at me along with Mom and Dad, so I told Dad that Simon was hiding in the guest room like the coward he is…but when we got to the room, he was gone! He'd just left without a word to Mom or anyone!"

"Uhhh-huuummm…" I growl.

"Mom's been crying and trying to reach him all day…but of course he's refusing to answer or return any of her calls, of course…" Ruthie continues. "Mom even called the airport and tried to get them to page him there, but they wouldn't do it, so Mom got mad and screamed at them…that's Simon for you…he craps all over us, then flees and hides! I hate him as much as you do, Martin! Please believe me; I tried to keep Simon from interfering…"

"No, I don't think you did," I say, still very angry at her. "You fairly encouraged him to butt into our private affairs by telling him in the first place about the baby…goodbye, Ruthie…have a nice life and get your parents to raise your kid…they'll do it…"

"You can't do this to me, Martin!" Ruthie screeches. "Mom and Dad…"

Voices that sound like Annie and Eric's rise suddenly in the background.

"_Ruthie, I _TOLD _you_…!" Eric's angry shout fires and the phone disconnects.

Fuming at Ruthie's stupidity and at Simon's latest dirty nasty trick, I sit there for God only knows how long. Thanks to both Simon and Ruthie, my evening is ruined. I flip channels and watch a re-run of _The_ _Sopranos_ before I turn in for the night.

As I get into bed, I realize that if Simon left early, he must be at his place by now. Gritting my teeth, I determine that tomorrow will be the day I go over to his apartment and have it out with him.

I am going to just drive the two and a half hours up there…the two and a half hour gap he's placed between himself and his own family, so he can hide whenever anyone tries to get him to pay for his rotten attitude, his lies, and his immorality.

I will go there and just quietly knock until he opens the door. Once he opens the door, I'll come right in so he won't be able to shut me out this time or avoid me. He'll be forced to deal with me face-to-face.

Once I put him in his place, his interference in my life will hopefully end. That should put an absolute stop to his little nasty games with me.

He will get it through his demented brain that his days of lies, playing his little attack-and-hide games, and general sleaziness are through, at least with me.

* * *

By the middle of the next morning, I am on the road up to Simon's place. On the way, I rehearse mentally how I will start and what my comebacks will be if Simon starts in on his stupid little cracks and smart-alecky comments.

Being too angry will just backfire, so I settle for just being strong and appearing angry enough to scare him into backing off. And I have no intention of starting anything physical with Simon because the last thing I need is for him to get me arrested on some bogus "assault" charge.

The drive there is a little over two and a half hours. Good thing I remembered to bring a jacket because it's cold up where Simon lives. Simon's area is more urban and crowded. By the time I reach his area, the streets and buildings are crammed together.

It looks dingy also and I lift my lip in disgust at several clotheslines outside of a string of these little row houses that sit mashed together on top of each other. Even worse, the houses are in these different colors, some of them weird colors like purple or blue.

The whole street looks awful. It reminds me of the ghettos I've seen in movies of inner cities like New York, Washington, Boston, or San Francisco. It figures that somebody as trashy as Simon would live in a dumpy place like this right in the city.

I'm so glad I live in Glen Oak; there is nothing like these ghettos in the nice small town of Glen Oak. Glen Oak people have more pride and keep not only their streets neat, but have the sense to space their houses decently apart and don't have these garish colors. I could never live in a city.

At first, I have trouble finding his place and have to ask several passerby. I just give the street name. Unfortunately, I don't have his exact address, just his street name and block.

I have to fight down a wave of frustration when this one guy who looks around Simon's age tries to bluff and I can tell he's just guessing and that he really doesn't know where Talbot Street is.

"Never mind…you don't know!" I snap and drive off.

In the rearview mirror, I see him give me the vulgar finger. Really mature of him. As if his stupidity and ignorance is my fault.

After almost an hour of driving around, some of it in circles, I finally find Talbot Street. I start to drive down toward the 7000 block, but halfway down is a huge trash truck turning around, minioning off the street.

"Shhhththththhhhhhhhffff!" I spit as I bang on the steering wheel in frustration.

That's the city for you…all these trash trucks and delivery trucks littering the streets here. After what feels like five years, the garbage truck pulls off.

I'm shocked to see two burly, ugly guys dangling off the truck…one is on the side and the second one, a guy with long black hair wearing a ratty T-shirt and who looks Indian or something is sitting on the top.

He is hanging onto what looks like a ladder. He's laughing and shouting things down at the driver and the other guy as if he's at some party. The other two are also laughing and shouting things back.

"Ugh…" I mutter in disgust as the truck thankfully vanishes down the road. I wonder if these are the kind of people Simon hangs around with these days.

I drive down slowly, scouring house and building numbers until I find Simon's block. It's a row of ugly, squat little apartment buildings in different tacky colors. I park in the middle of the block and hope that none of the goons that seem to live here even think of messing with my car.

I start down the beginning of the block and knock on several of the apartment buildings. The first two does not yield anyone answering the front door at all. And the front doors are locked. No one is in any of the hallways and there are no lobbies or receptionists at all. Just little hallways and stairs.

At the third building, I do see someone going down the stairs to a lower floor, but when I knock, the guy, a short, fat black guy with these ridiculous three braids, shakes his head at me and continues down the stairs carrying a huge, ratty-looking bag. No one else comes either.

"Darn it…" I hiss.

I have no other option but to continue down trying other apartments. I stick with the low rises since I have heard that Simon's building is a low rise of around either four or five stories.

As I walk, I see a few people wandering out and about. This one old lady is walking a brown dog that looks like a mutt that's seen better days. She and the dog pass me and the dog pulls on the leash toward me and I back away. Gross. I don't want that mutt licking me or anything.

"Oh, don't mind Frido…he won't harm you…" the lady says as if she's my pal or something. The lady has this hideous hairnet in her unkempt gray hair and dirty jeans. She's as ugly as her dog.

"I was wondering…" I say. Maybe she knows Simon.

"Yes, sir?" She stops and peers at me with small dark eyes.

"Do you know a Simon Camden…I know he lives around here," I tell her.

She looks at me, squinting a minute. "Are you a friend of his?"

Absolutely not! I think. I fight down a rush of annoyance that this bat would have the nerve to assume that somebody like me would be _friends_ with a low-class promiscuous piece of scum like Simon. I have to play it cool.

"Yes…" I say, smiling as charmingly at her as I can. "I used to go to…school with him and we sort of lost touch. I heard he lives around here…can you point me to his place?"

She stares at me another minute, then shakes her head. "I'm afraid I don't know any Simon Camden…sorry, dear."

"Well…" I say. "Thanks anyway…have a good day."

"Bye-bye…hope you find your friend soon," she walks on with her dog skipping around her.

"Drrrat…" I hiss.

That's another trouble with cities…people in cities tend to be so impersonal, so of course, they don't all know each other like the way they would in Glen Oak. In Glen Oak, almost everyone knows each other.

I really feel like a fish out of water here…the people here are so different, I can tell. I seem to be the only one here who has run a comb through his hair and has pressed, neat clothes. I'm wearing T-shirt and cargo pants, but at least they're not ratty or ancient like so many of the people here are wearing.

I manage to catch this one youngish guy who looks a few years older than Simon…maybe he might have an idea. But when I start to ask, he gives me this _la-duh _stare with these dull eyes and says, "No Ingless…" and shrugs.

"No English?" I say incredulously.

Oh…I guess he's Spanish. He doesn't really look it…his hair and eyes are dark, but his skin is almost as pale as Simon's.

"No…no…" He shakes his head and adds something that sounds like, _Lo siiientooo_…_no ablo Inglesss_… and rushes off.

Wow, things are really different here…I guess in this place, you'd get some people that never even learned any English. Foreigners, I think in disgust as I walk on. Something really has to be done about all the immigrants overcrowding this country.

I manage to find one four-story brick building with a peeling door. I see someone coming out and I rush up, but the lady, another fat one, black, exits, closing the door behind her too fast for me to enter.

"Hey…ma'am?" I call. She peers at me.

"Does a Simon Camden live in this building?" I ask her, trying to be polite.

"I'm not free to give out that kind of information." she tells me as if she's some kind of high government officer guarding some military base.

"What?" I'm stunned.

"I can't give out my neighbors' names or information," she says, walking onward without even looking at me. "Is this Simon expecting you?"

"N…yes, he is…" I lie. "He's an old friend of mine…wonderful guy…if you could just tell me if this is his building and his apartment number, I'd appreciate it…you'd be helping two old friends find each other."

"You'll have to try his number, then, if you're his friend…" she tells me. "Then if he's your friend, he can tell you where he lives and give you directions."

"But he never…!" I start to shout in frustration at this lady's thick-headedness, but see her face harden and realize too late that I've made her suspicious. "Drat…" I mutter under my breath.

"Well, if he's such a wonderful friend of yours, why are you skulking around the street?" Her black eyes narrow at me. "It sounds as if you don't want him to know you're here…see why I can't give out information?" she stalks off down the street.

"Hey, I'm not some criminal, if that's what you're thinking!" I scream after her.

But a bus comes down the street and she vanishes into it. The bus roars off, spewing a gray cloud of filthy exhaust my way. I have to wave and stifle a rising gag from inhaling that filth.

"SCREW IT!" I yell, totally frustrated. Screw this awful street! I think bitterly.

I pound on one more door, but as usual, it's empty and no one comes.

"Sir…?" a voice comes from behind me.

Turning, I see two police officers standing at the bottom of the short steps. My heart skips a beat.

"Is there a problem here?" a tall skinny one asks.

"Oh…no…I'm just looking for a friend." I try to smile at them. They don't smile back.

"We got a call a few minutes ago about a slight disturbance…" the other officer says, coming close and peering at me suspiciously as if he thinks I'm some criminal.

My anger starts to flare, but I fight it down. The last thing I need is to give these cops an excuse to arrest me and pin some bogus charge on me. They keep staring at me as if they are daring me to go psycho on them. But I won't give them that pleasure.

"Oh, hey…" I get an idea. "Do either of you know a Simon Camden? I know he lives on this street…on this block, but I forgot just where his apartment is." Cops can find people if no one else can.

"No, we don't know him…and even if we did, we are not authorized to give out information on anybody without their approval," the tall one glares at me as if I'd asked about some private thing…like Simon's sex life or something.

I fight back a scowl. "Thank you, officers," I manage to say, my teeth gritting.

"We suggest you get back home and if you want to reach your friend, to call him."

Yeah, right. I stalk up the street toward my car, knowing that no one in this freaking ghetto is going to be of any use. I get in the car and try to calm myself. I smack the steering wheel several times in frustration, furious that once again, Simon has managed to elude the consequences of the crap he's dumped on me.

"Crap and piss all over me, then run and hide, that's Simon…" I hiss as I start to drive home again. "And these days, he has this horrid little ghetto in the inner city to hide under all the trash here…" I laugh bitterly. "And this dump camouflages him great since he's trash himself…he blends right in with all the other garbage living here…"

* * *

Dad's home when I get home. He's in the kitchen having tea again and reading the paper. He looks up at the sight of me.

"Hey, son…" he says. "I'm glad you're home again…we need to talk…"

"Yeah…we need to," I say, feeling irate again. I sit and demand, "Why are you collaborating with Sandy and that awful Rose to have my own sons taken away from me?"

"I'm not, Martin," Dad lets out his breath. "I did go over to them to offer support…and I'd like to be able to do the same for you as well, if you let me…"

"Do you even realize what I've been through these past couple of days?" I go on. "Sandy came over on November first and threw divorce papers at me and flat-out told me our marriage was over, that she was filing to divorce me as if I'm the worst husband alive…she's turning my own sons against me…" I sputter in fury.

"Did you know that when I tried to speak to my own oldest son, he just…gulped and pulled away from me as if I was this horrid monster?" I rant on. "How does that make me feel?"

Dad closes, then opens his eyes briefly, looking bored, which makes me angrier. I am trying to control my temper, however, although it is not easy, especially with Dad.

"While you were gone, the Camdens had to fly to Buffalo…Eric's father had a heart attack…"

"Yes…I know about that," Dad says.

"That's not all…Ruthie's pregnant…and she's accusing me of being the father," I continue.

Dad's eyes widen a bit.

"I know what you're thinking, Dad!" I warn. "No, I am _NOT_ that baby's father…Ruthie's been with lots of other guys…she must have gotten pregnant by one of them…"

"Do her parents know about this pregnancy?" Dad asks.

"Yes," I tell him. "And guess who ratted her out on that regard? Good ol' Simon!"

"Well, it shows how caring Simon is…he was apparently trying to help Ruthie get the support she needs…"

"No, that little bastard was not!" I exclaim angrily. "Don't make excuses for Simon…Simon hates me and is trying to make me look bad… he was the one who actually told Annie and Eric that I was the father to turn them against me…"

"Hey…" Dad holds up his hand and I glare at it. "I think Simon's actions really have little to do with you personally and more to…"

"Yes, it does!" I bite back. "It also shows how demented and just sick…just sick Simon is! I don't know if this is his idea of a twisted joke on me, but…"

"I think it shows that Simon is concerned about his sister," Dad snaps back. "I know how strongly you dislike him, but you need to remember that he is a human being…and I think he's a very caring young man. I actually am growing tired of listening to you badmouth Simon…you really need to stop and take a long look at yourself and how you can get your life together instead of blaming others."

I open my mouth as if to fire back a rebuttal, but Dad stands up, takes his cup to the dishwasher and turns and glares at me from the counter. I realize that I really should change tack here. I should just drop the whole Simon subject for now, otherwise Dad will keep making excuses for Simon and end up yelling at me.

"Okay, maybe you're right…especially about my life," I fight to control my voice. "I know I shouldn't have gotten myself fired from that job…I'll start looking for something else…and I'll keep my next job; I won't do anything stupid to get myself fired again…believe me, I don't want to go through it again."

Dad nods silently, then nods as if he wants me to go on. Good.

"I want to work things out with Sandy," I continue. "Lucy's trying to help in that department…she's trying to get Sandy to move back home and reconcile…and she's counseling me…"

"What about the boys?" Dad asks. "Is this marriage…this marriage that Eric…and Lucy talked you into really good for the boys?"

"It's better than them growing up fatherless!" I snap back.

"Is it?" Dad asks. "You've admitted that Aaron becomes frightened of you sometimes…Sandy has said the same thing…is that what you really want for your son…for him to grow up fearful of his own father? Do you want him to feel so scared in his own home that he gulps when you're around?"

I heave a gusty sigh. "That was just _one_ time…I lost my temper…I tried to apologize, but Sandy just pulled him away as if I'd beaten him or something…and I was going to try to get her and the boys to come along with me to the Camdens'…they would have helped us all calm down…but Sandy refused and refused to let my take my own sons there…they'd have felt safe at the Camden house."

"Have you perhaps suggested to Sandy and considered for both of you marital counseling outside of the Camdens?" Dad asked. "A counselor who can be more objective and does not have a history with either of you…so there's no bias?"

"Eric and Lucy aren't biased," I tell him. "Eric is the smartest minister I know…he's great…and he helps Lucy out a great deal…Eric also is great with all the kids…and Lucy looks up to him, so she tries to emulate him…they have a great father-daughter bond…they can model that for my family and help Sandy and me have that with our sons."

Dad stares at me silently a minute.

"It'll work out…" I insist. "You'll see…Lucy will get Sandy to come home…she and Eric will help me out…Eric will give me tips on being a better husband and father…Eric's a great father and be a great role model for me…really, Dad…you'll see."

"I guess I will…" Dad says quietly. "Good night, Martin…I'm tired from my trip and am going to bed early tonight."

With that, he goes upstairs. I fix myself some coffee, then take it downstairs, heat up a frozen dinner. As the dinner is heating up, I attempt to reach Eric at his dad's place, but have no luck.

I do leave a message on his cell and on Annie's cell about Ruthie's nasty little rant to me and what she's said. Once again, I deny that I am the father of Ruthie's baby. I also tell them about Ruthie's denial that she'd been with other guys.

For good measure and to get back at Simon for his sleaziness, I add about Simon's suggestion of an abortion to Ruthie. I honestly don't know how Dad can claim that Simon is "such a caring young man" who is oh-so-concerned about Ruthie when he supports the killing of unborn babies and even has the gall to suggest such a heinous sin as a "solution" to an illegitimate pregnancy to his own sister…actually half-sister, but a sister all the same.

I watch the evening news, then later attempt to work on what I have of my term paper. I don't get much done, so I just thunk my things onto the floor, turn off the lamp and go to bed.

* * *

I try to reach the Camdens once again early Tuesday morning, but have no luck. So I eat breakfast having coffee, bacon, and a muffin. It's late Tuesday morning when I finally get a call back from one of the Camdens. It's Annie.

"Hi, Martin…" she greets.

"Hi," I say, relieved that they are not ignoring my messages after all. "Are you home yet?"

"Yes…we came home a day early…" Annie tells me, then lets out something that I realize is a short sob. "Oh, Martin…the things that have happened to our family these past couple of days…"

"I know…rough," I try to console her. "Ruthie's pregnancy must have been a huge blow to you…after all you tried to teach her…

"Yeah…that's not all…" Annie's crying now. She makes these noises that sound like _Uhhhh-huhuh-uhhhhuhhhh_.

"Hey, it's going to be all right," I soothe. "Want to talk about it?"

"Sure…Simon found out…" Annie sniffles and seems to be trying to get herself together. "Ruthie snooped into my private letters and found this letter from…an affair I had long ago…and Simon…Eric's not Simon's birth father…this guy I had an affair with, this Irish guy is…but we never told Simon or anybody…we didn't want Simon to be brought up in a broken home or have him grow up feeling different…I thought it was best that he not know and that he just grow up thinking Eric's his father…"

"Wow…that was low of Ruthie," I say, feigning sympathy. But I grin.

"Yeah, tell me about it…" Annie sniffles again. "So Eric…he knew about my affair, but didn't really know about Simon…"

"Ooooh," I breathe.

This is funnier than a soap opera. But I can't laugh right on the phone because I can tell she's really upset about all this.

"Simon was so upset…Eric and I had gotten back from visiting the Colonel at the hospital…Simon just came down after fighting with Ruthie…and started screaming at me…he had a copy of my letter, the one Ruthie snooped out…I tried to calm him down, but he just kept yelling at me and started crying. It was awful. My own son hates me now."

"How bad," I say. "Did you try to tell him it was for his own good?"

"Yes…but he just cut me off and essentially accused me of being a bad mother and setting out to deceive him…as if I did it just to be mean to him…"

"Oooh, he has a lot of nerve," I tell her.

"It was awful…the look in his eyes…they were so narrowed and looked so _dark_…so cold…and I almost didn't recognize his voice at times…like I was Satan's right-hand woman…then he ran upstairs crying as if I'd beaten him or something…then Eric started yelling at me, implying that it was my fault that Ruthie snooped…and acted as if he didn't know about Simon…but I think he suspected…"

"What a nightmare this must be for you…" I croon. "Did you go try to calm Simon down?"

"No…he was way past reasoning with…" Annie sobs a bit more. "When Simon gets into that mode, there is just no…communicating with him at all…Ruthie was coming down…she was trying to sneak out to escape the consequences…Eric and I tried to tell her that what she did was wrong…I can't believe she just invaded my privacy like that…I don't know if I can ever forgive her for this…"

Annie's _uhhh_-_uhhh_-ing rises again and lasts for another minute.

"And so did Simon eventually calm down? I understand that he just walked out on the family…I know the other night you and Eric caught Ruthie on the phone," I say. "I don't know if you know, but she had the nerve to call me that night and accuse me of lying about being the father of her baby…she just screamed at me and calls me all sorts of names…"

"Oh, gosh, Martin, I'm so sorry about that," Annie wails. "I really don't know what I'm going to do between Ruthie and Simon…not to mention Sam and David…those two acted up and bickered the whole time and especially were awful on the flight home."

Lucy's voice says something in the background.

"I'm on the phone, Lucy," I hear Annie snap.

"_But Mom, I need_…" Lucy starts plaintively.

"Just learn to wait!" Annie snipes at her. "You know, I'm this thin on the rope with all that's been going on…go find it yourself!"

She comes back to me. "Sorry about that…and no, Simon, as far as I can tell has not calmed down at all…Eric and I scolded Ruthie, not that it went through her head…we were going to go talk to Simon and try to calm him down…"

Annie starts sobbing again.

"B-but when we got to his guest room…" _Uhhhuuuuuuhuuuu_ "…he was just gone! He just up and left without a word to either of us!"

"Wow…marvelous son," I say sarcastically. "No note or anything?"

"Nope…he just left without a word…and Julie was coming over…she gave him a ride to the airport and he just went home without telling anyone! Julie and Eric had a big fight over that…Julie left, saw the Colonel, then just stayed in a hotel to avoid us…just like Simon…and then there was Matt…he got there…and Martin, Simon had called him and Sarah instead of me!"

"Wheeesh, I can't believe Simon…" I say indignantly.

"He called them and left a message to complain about me and that he was going home…and Matt took his side and got into a huge fight with Eric…they yelled at each other and Matt and Sarah stormed out on us…I tried to calm them all down, but Matt and Sarah brushed me off and left…just drove right back home to the city...I don't know if things will ever be the same between Matt and Eric…they said some horrible things to each other…"

"And to think after all you did for them," I tell her. "You'd think they'd be more appreciative…Simon should be grateful to you for trying to give him a normal childhood in an intact home rather than forcing him to grow up in a broken home."

"Yeah…" Annie agrees. "But Simon doesn't think that way, Martin…that boy can hold grudges like you wouldn't believe…I've tried calling him and left messages…but he won't pick up…and he hasn't returned any of my calls…I know he's there, but he's just screening me out…he's trying to punish me."

"What a vindictive little…" I snarl. "Doesn't he realize that this is hard for you? That you tried to do the best you could?"

"I guess not…" Annie sighs. "All's he sees is my wrongs…he won't give me credit for trying to do the right thing…"

"Maybe you should just forget him," I suggest. "Just…disown him…he's caused you enough heartache…just concentrate on Ruthie and her lies…"

"I wish it were that easy," Annie says dolefully. "But as Simon's mother…I can't just pretend he doesn't exist anymore…he's not Eric's son, but he is still mine…and after what we went through with Mary and Eric's been through with Matt…that'll be three of our children lost to us…I don't know if I can take losing three in a row…not to mention Ruthie, who's also been punishing me…she hasn't spoken a civil word to me since we got back…she hates me too…"

"So what are you going to do about Simon and his problems?" I ask.

"Eric's going to try to get him to come out to lunch with us this coming weekend…try to talk things out. I really do want to straighten things out with Simon…I love him…and with Thanksgiving coming up, I really don't want Simon punishing me like this…I'm afraid he'll snub me for the holidays just to get even with me for my mistakes…gosh, Martin, I'm glad you're here for me…I know things aren't easy for you either."

"No, they aren't…" I say. "Dad…he's been making excuses for Simon and Sandy…and Rose is involved and is getting Sandy to break up my family…I think she's still in cahoots with Simon and Sandy."

"Oh, Lord…" Annie's crying a bit again. "Just what this family needs…and knowing Simon and Rose, she's probably fueling his fire as well as Sandy's…"

"Yeah…so I know how you feel, Annie," I comfort her. "Sandy's punishing me in the same way…she's as big a grudge-holder as Simon."

"What did happen that time?" Annie asks.

"We got into a little argument…" I tell her. "I guess I raised my voice a bit at her…the boys got scared and she just fueled that…I think she's conditioning my own sons to be afraid of me…" I heave a gusty sigh.

"In our last argument, Aaron shrank away from me as if I'm some evil Attila the Hun or something…he and Sandy acted like I was beating him or something…since then, Sandy's been avoiding my calls…it's just like Simon with you."

"How true, Martin," Annie sighs and sniffles again. "Simon sometimes acts like I'm this villainess…and now my little mistake that I tried to hide from all of us…it was to protect him from the stigma of being illegitimate…since he found out about it, he's acting like I'm this awful mommy-dearest creature…Martin, it's been awful…this whole week's been really bad for me."

"Yeah, me too…" I say. "I'm so glad we have each other…my dad hasn't been really there for me…he has the nerve to side with Sandy and Simon against his own son…so I really understand what you're going through."

"Me too, Martin…I know how you feel…you're the son I always wish I had…" Annie gushes.

"Let's just stick by each other, okay?" I say. "I think Eric will come around…let's stand by each other and not let Simon or Sandy's little games get to us…okay?"

"Okay…goodnight, Martin," Annie says.

"'Night," I say.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N_: Thanks for all your terrific reviews, everyone! They're great! Here's the next chapter...enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

10

A knock sounds at my door late Wednesday morning. It's Lucy and Eric. I invite them in and offer them coffee, which they accept.

"Your dad's not home, is he?" Eric asks, peering around.

"No…it's just me alone," I tell them as I set the coffee maker on and put out cups, cream and sugar.

"Sandy hasn't called you back?" Lucy asks.

"Nope," I tell her. "And I've left nice messages with her…I'm trying to let her know that I still love her and want to work this out for the sake of our boys."

"Yeah…I've let messages with her too," Lucy tells me. "Not a thing from her…I guess she doesn't get how important family is to you."

"No, she doesn't," I say. "She's been staying with Rose and I think Rose, along with Simon, is influencing her to break up my family."

"Haa, I knew Rose was involved someplace in here," Lucy scowls. "I never liked her…she was nothing but trouble."

I get up to pour the coffee and bring the steaming cups to the table.

"You know Simon had the gall to suggest that Ruthie get an abortion," I say.

"You mean, kill her baby?" Lucy's eyes widen in indignant shock.

"That's right…he told her she'd make a lousy mother and I'm a terrible father," I say.

"Yes…" Eric nods. "I heard your message. I was quite shocked…I thought of calling Simon to let him know that was out of line, but I know he wouldn't answer…he's not returning any calls from Annie, Lucy, or me…doesn't want to face reality or own up."

"That's Simon for you," I snort. "Dump on us, then hide."

"So do you know why Ruthie was calling Simon and Simon was answering her calls while ignoring the rest of ours?" Eric asks, sipping his coffee.

"I think Simon wants me to get blamed for Ruthie's mess," I say.

"Of all the conniving…" Lucy sputters, her face going red. "And he just took off on us in Buffalo…not a word to any of us! I came back to the Colonel's house after Simon found out about Mom's adulterous affair…I found him in his room crying in hysterics…before I came in with you, Mom, and Ruthie…he shoved Mom's letter at me…remember, Dad?"

"You didn't try to convince Simon to stay and work this out with us?" Eric asks.

"Sure, I did," Lucy finishes her coffee and refills her cup. "But does he listen to me? No, he just screamed about what liars you and Mom are…he carried on and on about how you and Mom had supposedly 'betrayed' all of us…it was as if he wanted me to join him in hating you and Mom…some of what he was screaming and crying about wasn't even making sense…that's when I heard Ruthie yelling at you and Mom…so I came in there."

"And that's when I decided to come over and try to settle Simon down," Eric directs this to me. "But Simon had left…not a word to anyone…not even a goodbye or even the courtesy of a note."

"I knew we should have taken the car and driven down the roads Simon must have started down and gotten him to come back," Lucy says.

"But Julie picked him up and drove him to the airport," Eric says. "It wouldn't have done any good."

"Well, then we should have gone to the airport before he got away from us," Lucy heaves. "Tracked him down face-to-face…but Mom insisted on paging first…she was in a tizzy already…I heard her…she started screaming at the airport person when they wouldn't do it."

"He was already on a flight," Eric sighs. "And he was too upset to listen to reason…he already sees us as this enemy…even if we'd found him in the airport, it wouldn't have done any good…there's just no reasoning or getting through to Simon when he gets like this…"

"And you didn't really know that Simon wasn't yours, Dad," Lucy adds. "So Simon really has no reason to blame you…it's Mom's fault….she was the one who lied to us."

"I knew about Annie's affair long ago…but not about Simon…she should have told me about Simon…I suspected, but didn't really look into it."

"That explains why Simon's so different from the rest of you," I say.

"Yeah…" Lucy nods. "No one in our family has those freckles and that weird pug nose he has…not to mention those overgrown eyebrows of his…and Mom's been crying and carrying on ever since…and she's even not speaking to you, Dad and it's not your fault…I don't know if I can ever forgive Ruthie or Simon for disrupting our family like this…"

"And while we're on disrupted families…let's think up a plan to save your family, Martin," Eric pats Lucy's hand.

For the next hour or so, we brainstorm ideas. Nothing really strong comes up for any of us, but Lucy and Eric are convinced that they can somehow get Sandy to come over while I'm there.

"I've got a better idea…why not you, Luce, invite Sandy to the promenade…but don't tell her I'll be there…and say you've heard about our breakup and you just want to offer her support," I suggest. "Try to convince her to bring the boys for good measure."

"That's a great idea," Lucy coos. "I'm sure they miss you by now and want to see their father again…it'll be a sure way to convince Sandy what a grave injustice she'll do to you and the boys by separating the boys from you and forcing them to grow up without a father."

"It's too bad Simon doesn't see all you did for him," I say as Lucy and Eric get ready to leave. "You'd think he'd be grateful to you, Eric for being his father in all the ways that counted."

"Thanks, Martin…" Eric pats my hand. "I really did need to hear that…Annie's hardly been supportive of me these last few days…"

"Yeah," Lucy adds. "All's Mom has done is mope around crying, feeling sorry for herself, snapping at everyone, and blaming everyone else."

We finalize plans for the promenade for later on in the week before Lucy and Eric depart. I smile as I make myself more coffee and head downstairs. I grab a bag of Doritos and turn on the TV on some silly reality show. But I think over things, especially with Lucy and Eric.

If anyone can get Sandy back, it's Lucy…like I'd realized by Halloween, Lucy is a doer, not some passive slug. Unlike Ruthie, who waited around for me to do all the work, Lucy pulls her share. She's not very bright, but she makes do with what she has.

Also, unlike Ruthie and Annie, and _especially_ unlike Simon, Lucy is not above turning to others; she lets her father help her with her kids and her ministry. I have to admire her for that.

* * *

I come over to the Camden house before noon the next day. I am pleased that it's Lucy who greets me and gives me a hug as she ushers me into the house.

"I actually had one of the church organists call Sandy and invite her out to the promenade," Lucy tells me. "She won't know it's you and me coming…she thinks it's just a neighbor being friendly and supportive."

"Great work," I beam at her.

I hear footsteps on the stairs. Ruthie. She stops midway, stares at me coldly. I glare back.

"Ruthie, get back upstairs!" Lucy shouts. "You had your chance with Martin and you blew it!"

"Still lying his head off," Ruthie complains. "And of course you're covering for him, Lucy!"

"If you'd stop thinking about _YOURSELF_ so much, you could go in and see if Mom needs anything else…offer her some support…" Lucy snaps at her.

"She won't talk to me…" Ruthie laments. "Ever since I told Simon about her, she's been shunning me…everyone's been shunning me…Martin…don't just throw away our relationship because of one little misunderstanding…it's Simon and Mom's faults, not mine…" a tear trickles down Ruthie's face.

"It's _YOURS_ also!" Lucy yells at her. "_YOU_ were the one who went snooping in Mom's things and spilled it to Simon…and you were the one who got yourself pregnant…"

"I didn't get pregnant by myself!" Ruthie screams back, more tears streaming down her face. She sniffles. "Martin, you know it's you…you can't just turn your back on me and leave me like this…"

"Well, Ruthie, what do you expect when you try to mess around with others' lives?" I tell her.

Now I have a hard time imagining that I ever wanted to marry her. She messes up, tries to mess up others' lives, then goes blaming others when it all comes back to her.

"You messed…" Ruthie starts, but I don't want to hear her blame.

"What goes around comes around, Ruthie," I tell her. "Let's go, Luce."

"Yeah…and Ruthie, be of some use around the house for a change," Lucy throws back at her as we leave.

We arrive at the promenade at around one, about a half hour after time Sandy's been told to come. Lucy and I quickly get coffee from next door, then sit at a remote table after we spot her. She's alone. I was hoping the boys would be with her, but they don't seem to be.

"I just hope Mrs. Barnes got the time right…and doesn't answer her phone, so Sandy thinks it's just a no-show…she gets up to leave…so we pretend we're surprised to see her…I invite her to sit and we act friendly…Martin, you have to really show her you want things to work…even if you have to apologize to get her to think you're the 'repentant' husband."

I nod. I am pleased to see her look at her watch impatiently. As Lucy and I sip our coffee, we try not to talk too much or too loudly. We don't want Sandy seeing or hearing our voices just yet.

We all wait for almost an hour. Finally, Sandy, after attempting to call her "friend" a few times, starts to leave. We pretend to be engrossed in our coffee. Just as Sandy grabs her bag, I look up.

Feigning surprise, I call, "Sandy…hi!"

She looks around a minute, wondering where my voice is coming from. She looks vaguely alarmed and at first, I'm afraid she'll just flee.

"Oh, wow, I didn't know Sandy was here," Lucy says loudly in fake surprise. "Maybe we should say hi to her, see how she's holding up…"

We stand slowly and smiling, make our way over. Sandy at least stays put, but watches us approach warily.

A rather flat, "hi" is all she says. She's halfway standing.

"How are the boys?" Lucy asks, sitting down. "Are they all right with the recent upheaval in their lives?"

"They're all right," Sandy says, her voice toneless.

"Sandy…can we talk a minute?" I ask. "I'm sorry about the other day…I'm not going to pressure you into coming back right away or anything…but I do hope we can fix things…Lucy's been trying to reach you…I want to work this out…work it out for the boys' sakes."

"I know Lucy has," Sandy says. "She's left me a dozen messages…and I really don't want to rehash things, Lucy."

"I'm not trying to get you to 'rehash' anything, Sandy," Lucy tells her. "Look, there's been a lot going on with my own family…Mom lied to Dad and me about something that happened with Simon a long time ago…so I know how bad family strife feels…I can be there for you, Sandy. I can help both you and Martin through this rough patch…"

"Trust me on this one, San, Lucy and Eric have helped lots of couples get through rough patches over the years," I say.

"This is more than just a temporary 'rough patch,' Martin," Sandy's eyes well up with tears. "I'm sorry, Lucy, but I don't think you can help…you or Eric."

Oh, drat, I didn't count on her to start crying right here in public in front of people.

"I could if you and Martin would let me," Lucy says soothingly. "Think of the boys…you really want them to grow up in a broken home…not knowing their own father?"

Sandy's tears slide down her face. "I think our home is already broken…Martin, I'm sorry, but the boys have already lost their dad…especially that night you screamed at Aaron…"

"Ohhh…" I stop myself from saying _crap_ and heave a gusty sigh. She's still on that.

"We can fix things," Lucy says.

"For a while," Sandy wipes her eyes. "But what about the next rough patch…and the next? It's happened before, Martin…then you say you're sorry and all…and it happens again…and what about Ruthie…she's having a baby by you…what are you going to do about that?"

My head snaps back.

"How do you know about Ruthie…?" Lucy gasps.

"Simon…" I snarl. "Ruthie's lying and trying to make me look bad, so of course she told Simon, who then told you, right Sandy? You know, Eric's not really Simon's dad, right? Simon found out this weekend and is trying to get back at the rest of us, including his own family."

"That explains why Simon doesn't look like any of the Camdens…but, never mind how I know about Ruthie and your baby…lots of people know…Simon…your dad…" Sandy says. "I can't live with that, Martin…I'm sorry, but I can't live with you anymore…the boys can't either…"

"But Sandy, Ruthie's baby isn't mine," I protest. Sandy shakes her head and gets up to leave. "Ruthie's lying…Ruthie's been out with other guys and got pregnant with one of them…"

"Can you prove you're not the father?" Sandy snaps. "What's there to stop her from having a paternity test done?"

That stops me cold and I feel my eyes widen. I hadn't thought about that. Apparently, neither has Lucy because she kind of gasps and her eyes bulge.

Sandy gets up and leaves. Lucy kind of hisses under her breath. "That…!"

With a snarl, she picks up what's left of her coffee and throws it in Sandy's direction. The mug misses by a long shot, shatters to the pavement right behind a young couple near us.

"AAAAY!" the guy turns around and glares at us. A bit of coffee has splatted on his t-shirt.

"It wasn't…" I start, but the guy lifts up his huge pie and hurls it at me.

It splatters on my chest and all over my shirt and drips down me in a disgusting mess. Lucy lets out a little indignant shriek and glares at the guy.

"AAAAY, YOU PUNK!" I start toward the ugly toad, who has a disgusting tattoo on his arm, but Lucy grabs my shirt.

"Martin…let's not start a scene after…" she whispers. "Last thing we need is Glen Oak talking about you even more…"

I nod, then we start home.

"Martin…while we're alone…can you level here, so we have facts straight and no one can pull any surprises on us…did you by chance, really have intimate relations with Ruthie…c'mon, I won't blame you or anything…we're in this together and I'll stick by you no matter what…"

I take a deep breath. "The truth…I did…once…get…intimate with Ruthie…so it's a very remote possibility the baby could be mine…"

"Ooooh…" Lucy sighs. "Then maybe we should take that test and we could figure out where to go from there…if Ruthie's baby is yours, do you want the baby? Would you want to help take care it…support it? That would mean you'd have a tie with Ruthie for life…Sandy would know…you'd have three kids to support…"

"I guess I wouldn't be happy about it, but yes, I'll take care of Ruthie's baby…if it really is mine…I guess I should have learned from Sandy," I say, making my voice repentant. "I should have known Ruthie was not much better than Sandy."

"Yeah, those two are a lot alike," Lucy grunts. "Ruthie is so conniving…not to mention spoiled. I think Dad will help also…he knows you're a nice guy…you just made a few mistakes…but together we can deal with those mistakes…you're good at doing the right thing…I know you'll do the right thing no matter what with Ruthie…"

"Thanks, Lucy," I say.

We pull into the driveway and kiss. More and more, I find myself drawn to her. I suspect she's drawn to me also. I don't know how long we sit there, holding each other. It just feels so comfortable. Lucy's beautiful.

* * *

"I didn't have any luck with Sandy either," Eric tells us later on that night in his study. It's Lucy, Eric and I seated together. "I'm sorry, Martin about all this."

I nod. "I know," I sigh. "Lucy and I tried for the sake of the boys…my own dad hasn't been much help…Eric…do you think you can find a good lawyer for me if Sandy does push through with a divorce…one that'll help me gain custody of the boys and a fair divorce settlement?"

"I'll see what I can do, son," Eric pats my hand. "I'm not sure how soon I can get one…but I'll do my best to see that it's before any court dates are set."

"Thanks," I say.

Lucy and I go out for coffee several more times before Friday. Annie's slowly coming out of her room, although she still bursts into tears every so often.

Ruthie avoids us by staying upstairs most of the time. She comes to the table for dinner, but gives Lucy and me dark looks. Lucy gives her nasty looks back and I just ignore Ruthie.

Lucy and I wind up making dinner most nights since Annie's still not in much of a condition to cook meals or do much around the house. She does thank me profusely for my help.

On Thursday, Lucy and I are getting dinner together once again. Eric joins us and he helps with the salad. The three of us laugh and talk quite a bit. I love the bond Lucy and Eric have. Anyone with eyes can see that they are a true father-daughter pair.

As we carry things into the dining room, Savannah watches from the door. She eyes me warily, but I ignore her. The next time I re-enter the dining room, Annie has come and is standing dolefully in the doorway.

"Hi…" I tell her, coming over. "I'm so sorry about all that's been going on with Simon…"

Annie nods, then starts to cry and clings to me, _uhhhh_-_uhhh_-ing in my ear. I stroke her. Savannah watches this solemnly.

"And I'm sure Eric will come around…" I whisper.

"Yeah…but whad abouuud Zzzimon…?" Annie weeps. "Eric…dried to gall him…they even daalked…but Zimon didden wanna gome oud dis weegend…"

"Grandma, how come you never told Uncle Simon about who his real daddy was?" Savannah asks. "He was real upset…he's crying too…and even Uncle Matt cried when he found out…"

"Savannah, go help your mother and grandpa," I order, not wanting her to start poking into Annie and Simon's mess. Savannah stares at us a minute, then slowly goes to the kitchen.

"So…wow…Mom decided to show up for dinner," Sam quips when we sit down a few minutes later. "And look who's back like an annoying boomerang…Martin again."

"Yes, I'm back," I snap. "I'm a friend of the family, whether you like it or not."

"Right…some 'friend,'" Ruthie mumbles, giving me a dirty look as she helps herself to mashed potatoes. Once again, it's easier to ignore Ruthie for now and just concentrate on Lucy, Eric, and Annie.

"Ruthie, that's enough," Eric tells her sternly.

"Right, it's always 'enough' when I say anything, but it's never enough when Lucy or Martin open their big mouths or when Mom carries on with her little martyr parade or with Simon's drama, but no one ever wants to hear anything from me…"

"Ruthie…" Eric snarls, glaring at her. "If you can't be pleasant and keep quiet about certain topics, you will go upstairs and stay in your room until your conduct improves…"

"Okay, fine!" Ruthie yells. "I guess I should shut up about Martin and his lies…you all know he's the real father and he's lying…"

"Ruthie…just zzzdop…" Annie wails, tears coming down her face again. She jumps up and runs upstairs, crying again.

"Ruthie, go up to your room and stay there," Eric tells her coldly. "And without any slamming or your other antics."

Ruthie does, but not before glaring at all of us. The twins snicker, obviously enjoying this. Savannah, Kaylee, and Rick start crying.

"Did you really knock up Ruthie?" David smirks as Eric and Lucy try to quiet the kids. Savannah runs upstairs, still sobbing.

"None of your business," I snipe at him.

"Oooh, that means he did," Sam jeers and the twins laugh again and hi-five as if this is a great show. "I hope Sandy dumps you over this…but then again, this isn't the first girl you knock up, then dump…at least Simon used that comdome thing when he did it."

I debate picking up the pot roast and dumping it all over the boys. But Eric sternly orders the twins upstairs.

They go, still giggling and looking back at me. Kaylee won't stop crying, so Lucy carries her along with Rick upstairs.

Once Lucy comes back down, it's just the three of us. We keep eating, determined not to let the other ruin our time together. We talk about mundane things. Eric and I touch hands at one point.

I think he has a good idea now that Ruthie and I have slept together, but like Lucy, does not condemn or criticize me. I think it's because he, like Lucy, remembers what I went through with Sandy and neither one of them want to put me through that again.

"Eric…Lucy…" I decide to take a proactive stance. "I've grown up quite a bit since Sandy…I can take that paternity test Sandy's pushing for…I just did it that once with Ruthie, but I know even one time…accidents happen…I'll take responsibility for Ruthie's baby if it does turn out to be mine by chance…"

"That's commendable of you, Martin," Eric smiles. "But even if you and Sandy divorce…you'll still have to be there for her boys also…support them and be part of their lives."

"That's why I think he should get custody, Dad," Lucy says. "Martin and the boys can stay here with us…that way Martin's raising his own son's and also helping raise Ruthie's kid…and all of them have their father…"

"Thanks…" I tell both of them.

These two have done more for me in this past month than anyone else has done for me in my lifetime put together.

* * *

I'm spending very little time at my dad's house this week. I only come there late Thursday night to pack a few things.

I sleep there, but come back to the Camden house by noon on Friday. I feel the Camden house is more home than any other place I've ever lived in.

Annie's finally come out of her room more and isn't crying as much as she was earlier.

"Glad you seem to be feeling better," I tell her as Lucy and I enter the kitchen.

"Some…" Annie sighs. "Eric's finally talking to me again, even though things are rather stilted between us. I think Simon is coming for Thanksgiving…so is Mary, so that helps…if only I could get Matt and Sarah…but ever since Matt and Eric had that awful argument, Matt won't have anything to do with Eric."

"What was that fight about anyway?" I ask, helping Annie with lettuce.

"It was partially over Simon's birth dad…Simon was still crying when he called Matt and told him everything…Matt sided with Simon against Eric and me…Matt and Sarah were upset when they came over…Matt basically called me a liar and Eric a 'collaborator in deceit'…can you believe that?" Annie sighs.

"Wheeeshhhh…Matt has some nerve," I say.

"Eric didn't help matters by yelling back at Matt and telling him how disrespectful he'd been and how he'd kept our grandchildren away unfairly…" Annie continues. "And can you believe it, Matt excuses it by accusing us of being bad grandparents and he didn't want his kids growing up with our 'twisted games'…they screamed at each other until Matt and Sarah stormed out…so now Matt's refusing to speak to either of us…"

"Wow…Matt sounds like he's another one with issues," I say.

The kitchen phone rings. As Annie picks up, I see the name _Glass, R._ flash on the caller ID and idly wonder if we know anyone by the name of Glass.

"Richard…what's going on?" Annie asks. "What…why are you crying? If you've called to tell me…I've gotten it from all sides this week with Matt, Ruthie, Simon, and Eric…oh…oh, nooo!"

Annie's crying again. "Oh, when did this happen? Oh, Lord! How did…? Is Sarah…Rosina…?"

Annie nods, then gets out, "Yezzz…I'll d-dell them…wait…Rozzzna…dold Zzimon already? Yezzz, I'll dell Eriggg…" she hangs up with a thud and leans on the counter, sobbing.

"Annie…what's happened?" I ask, wondering if some new drama is unfolding.

Maybe Matt and Sarah are splitting up or something. I gather that this Richard Glass is a friend or something of Matt and Sarah.

"Annie…" I put a hand on her shoulder. She straightens a bit and blinks as if she's just realized that I am there.

"It's Matt…" Annie weeps. "He's…dead! That was Sarah's vvvather…Matt was stabbed…my zzzzon…dead!"

Ooooh. I wasn't expecting this. I hold Annie for a long minute. Matt…dead. I was never close to Matt and often found him rather snooty the few times I did meet him.

But I do feel bad for Annie…she's dealing with two big things in her life…three counting Ruthie's nonsense. I just wonder if all this will drive Annie over the edge.


	11. Chapter 11

More drama with the Camdens and with the Brewers...the usual disclaimers that none of the _7th Heaven_ characters and places are mine...thanks for all the great reviews and enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**11**

I don't know how long I hold Annie as she sobs all over again. I gather that Annie had promised this Richard Glass that she'd give Eric the bad news.

But I can see Annie's in no condition to make any phone calls or deliver any news right now, so I offer to call Eric at the church for her.

"Would you?" Annie pleads. "Thadd…be good…" She pulls back a little and looks up at me with a blotchy-red face soaked with tears.

The kitchen door creaks. I turn around and groan to see Sam and David peer in.

"So what's Mom's meltdown about this time? Another fight with Matt? Or with Simon?" Sam asks. They snort with snickers.

"Boys, that is not funny," I scold. "Your mother is upset because Matt was just killed."

This news shuts the boys up, but they just mostly stare at Annie and me. Sam is still smirking. I am so tempted to smack his face and get that ugly smirk off for good.

Savannah also wanders in and freezes when she sees Annie crying again. "Wh-what happened?" she whispers.

"Matt was just killed," I tell her. "So all three of you, go upstairs and don't any of you make a sound."

"Uncle Matt?" Savannah wails.

"Yes, Uncle Matt," I tell her in exasperation.

How many Matts does she know? The twins go, whispering between themselves and troop upstairs noisily, but Savannah doesn't budge.

"Who killed Uncle Matt?" Savannah starts to cry.

"We don't know yet…so go…don't upset Grandma any more than she's already upset." I herd her out of the kitchen.

Savannah eventually goes upstairs, but she's still crying. "We have to tell Uncle Simon…he's gonna cry so much too…he loved Uncle Matt…"

Once she's gone, I heave a sigh of relief…until I see Ruthie coming down the stairs.

"What's going on?" she demands loudly. "And why is Mom in even bigger hysterics than she's been in all week?"

As if on cue, Annie stumbles out of the kitchen and runs up the stairs, almost tripping over Ruthie, who steps aside, glaring at her.

Annie's loud sobs remain audible even after she closes the bedroom door. It's a distraught sound of somebody who is coping with way too much.

"MARTIN!" Ruthie bellows, starting to follow me into Eric's study.

I myself am coping with way too much. I don't need to deal with Ruthie at this time. So I bolt inside the study and slam the door in Ruthie's face.

"HEEEYYYY!" Ruthie screams. She pounds on the door twice, huffing furiously.

Ignoring her, I dial Eric's number at the church.

"Glen Oak Community Evangelical Church, Reverend Eric Camden speaking."

"Hi, Eric…you have to come home…there's been a tragedy," I tell him.

"What? Martin? What happened?" Eric gasps. "Is anyone at home…?"

"Everyone at home's all right…physically, at least," I hasten to reassure him. "But Annie's in bad shape…she just got a call from this Richard Glass guy and he told her that Matt…passed away."

"Who's that?" I hear Lucy in the background. "Dad, what's going on?"

"What about this with Matt?" Eric says.

"He's dead," I tell him.

"Matt died…" I hear Eric tell Lucy.

"Martin?" Lucy says. "Lemme talk to Martin…"

"Things didn't have to end this way with Matt and me," Eric moans to Lucy, his voice muffling a bit. "Matt's dead…he died angry with me…my oldest son…oh, help me, God…" Eric lets out what sounds like a moan, then a sniffle. "There go all of my chances with him…"

"Dad…you did everything you could for Matt," Lucy tells him. "C'mon…don't start falling apart now…Mom is gonna need us at home…she'll need us to be strong for her…"

Apparently, Eric lets her have the phone because the next thing I know, Lucy's on the line.

"Martin?" she says. "What's going on? What happened to Matt and the Glasses?"

"You both have to come home," I tell her. "Matt was stabbed…Annie's really distraught and is upstairs hysterical…"

"MARTIN!" Ruthie bellows from the other side of the door and pounds on it again. "Get off the phone!"

"What's that noise and what's yowling?" Lucy demands. "Did a sick cat get into the house?"

"Just Ruthie acting stupid…as usual," I sigh.

Lucy is silent a minute. Sounds of scrambling around in the background rise from her side also. Lucy sighs.

"Hang tight, Martin…we'll be home in a little bit…can you hold the forte down?"

"Sure…" I say.

Once I hang up and open the study door, Ruthie almost falls into me. I quickly step aside and she falls into Eric's desk, knocking some of his pens to the floor. Her face is streaked with tears and her eyes are red.

She rights herself and starts shrieking at me. "You didn't even have the decency to tell me that Matt's dead!"

"Well, you wouldn't have found it this way if you hadn't been eavesdropping on _MY_ phone conversation!" I shout back at her.

"I heard it from the boys, not your big, fat mouth!" Ruthie screams.

"And I'd like to not hear from your huge mouth anymore either!" I snap, heading for the stairs. "Your dad and Lucy are on the way home right this minute…and they'd better not have to deal with crap from you…I'm going up to check on Annie since you're way too self-centered to show any concern for your own mother!"

As I charge up the stairs, Ruthie follows, flinging a few more lame insults. She almost collides with Sam, who snipes, "Hey, watch where you're going, dodo! Don't knock the rest of us over chasing Martin in the latest soap opera episode of the little love-hate drama you two have…"

"Just SHUT UP, you rotten little bastard!" Ruthie screams, shoving him aside.

He trips her. She stumbles and nearly crashes into the railing and lands halfway on the floor. David peers down from the twins' door, smirking. Sam laughs.

"Episode three million of the soap_ The Ruthie Camden and Martin Brewer Love/Hate Show_," Sam jeers.

"Listen, the three of you better get your acts together," I warn them, glaring at all three of them. "Maybe none of you have the decency to show any concern for your own mother, but she really doesn't need this added crap from any of you! And your father will kick your butts if you keep this immaturity up!"

"It's not my fault…!" Ruthie screeches.

"Save it!" I bellow at her. "And get lost!"

I point her away and glare at her. She stares at me, then turns on her heel and stalks down the hall to her room, sniffing and crying a little.

She slams the door so hard Kaylee starts crying. It's hard to believe I ever really had feelings for that shallow, selfish little vixen.

I glare the twins off, then enter the master bedroom. Annie is sitting on the bed, crying more softly.

She's clutching a picture of Matt. Periodically, she clutches it to her chest. I suspect she doesn't even realize that I've entered the room.

"Annie…" I say softly, coming over and touching her arm. "I called Eric…he and Lucy are on their way home."

Annie nods and continues to stare at the picture. "What a beautiful boy he was…" she whispers. "This was from his final year in medical school…"

In the picture, Matt is wearing a long white doctor's coat and has a faint smile on his face. His dark hair is cropped short and the front area is sticking up almost like a punk rocker. His eyes are hazel like Ruthie's, but larger. His complexion is almost as fair as Lucy and Annie's.

He'd look almost handsome if it weren't for the dark fuzz on his chin and his thick, un-groomed eyebrows. I idly wonder if either of his twins looks like him.

"He's in a better place now, " I tell Annie in an attempt to console her. "He's with God…"

"Maybe…" Annie sniffles and takes another tissues and wipes her face. She blows her nose loudly.

"Sure, he is," I say. "And you'll see him again on the other side."

"I'd like to think so," Annie mumbles. "Eric and I were really dismayed when he turned away from our church and joined Sarah's synagogue…I felt as if he'd turned his back on Jesus and all we'd tried to teach him…and in so doing, he essentially turned his back on us…you know the Jews don't look at things the way we do…"

"Maybe God will overlook it…after all, Matt did live the Christian life most of his life…maybe that'll count and he'll still get into heaven…"

"I hope so," Annie says. "I fervently hope so…I'm so glad you're here, Martin…" she leans on me and I hold her until Eric and Lucy get home.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon speeds by as I help Eric pack Annie's things. Annie's in no condition to pack or do much of anything. The most she can manage to do is sit and cry or stare vacantly into space.

I also help Lucy pack. Unlike Annie, she doesn't fall apart or go into hysterics. I do remind her not to forget several important things like her purse and a change of clothes.

"You know what?" she mutters as she sweeps through her full closet. "I don't even have a black dress or even a black blouse and I know you're supposed to wear black at funerals."

"How about gray?" I suggest, sitting on her bed.

"I guess…" she shoves clothes back and forth. "Darn…nope…oh, hey, how about this beige suit?" Lucy pulls it out and holds it up. "I got it for my birthday last January from Grandma Ruth…I've always hated it, but do you think it'll do for the funeral?"

"With a white blouse, it should," I say. "Have one?"

"I think so."

Lucy tosses the suit in my direction. Grinning, I catch it as she dives back into her closet again. She has such a mess of clothes in there that it's a wonder anything can be found. Miraculously, she does find a white blouse.

"It's a church blouse and dressy enough," she says, holding it up. "I'll have to just tuck the collar inside out to hide those little pink flowers there…you think it'll do?"

"Yeah…it should," I say.

I help Lucy pack some odd and end things and close her bulging makeup bag. I'm pleasantly surprised that she's stronger than her mother and Ruthie.

She's dealing with this latest Camden crisis quite calmly, not falling apart and crying all over the place like her mother nor is she screaming or sulking around like Ruthie. It's a blessing not having to deal with all that.

Thinking about Eric having to deal with his wife's hysterics brings a satisfied smile to my face. I also feel a stab of pity for the guy. At the rate Annie's going, he might have to carry her throughout the funeral.

Lucy could be the one who holds everybody together at this funeral. She could even keep Ruthie and the twins in line. Annie's certainly in no shape to do it; it seems as if Lucy and Eric are like the leaders, the family heads at this point.

I used to think Lucy was just like her mother, but now in a lot of ways, she's more like her father. Both of them get things done and don't let tragedy derail them or anyone get in their way. No wonder Lucy is so close to her father.

A soft knock sounds at the door. "Who is it?" I ask. No one answers. "Who's knocking?" I demand, annoyed at whoever is fooling around. It had better not be Sam or David playing their stupid little games.

Lucy sighs and walks over to the door. It's Savannah and she has a bulging little green backpack with her. Her eyes fill with tears as she looks at her mother.

"All packed?" Lucy asks her.

Savannah nods, then comes in. She eyes me a minute and edges to Lucy as if I'm some contagious disease. She puts her arms around Lucy, but still keeps looking up at me.

"Grandpa packed…he finished packing Grandma's things…Grandma's still crying…she and Grandpa miss Uncle Matt…I do also…Aunt Sarah's mommy called Uncle Simon…I bet Uncle Simon's crying too…he's coming to New York too…Aunt Sarah must be sad also…their kids…they're all gonna cry when they bury Uncle Matt…it's sad…"

"Well, maybe they will," Lucy pulls Savannah onto the bed beside her. "But you and I won't have to cry and be all sad …you know why?"

Savannah shakes her head.

"Because you and I along with Grandpa and Martin know Uncle Matt's gone to heaven to be with God," Lucy tells her.

"Where's heaven?" Savannah asks. "And if Uncle Matt went there, he'd miss the rest of us and be sad too."

"But he won't need to," Lucy tells her. "He'll be with God and God will take care of him."

"Then why can't we all go to God and join Uncle Matt?" Savannah wails.

I stifle a laugh.

"Savannah, sweetie," Lucy sighs. "Do you remember the Bible story Grandpa and I read you about when God takes each of us home…but in our own time?"

"I think so…but why does Uncle Matt's time have to be today?"

"I am sure God has a reason for calling Matt home," I say. "But it's not for us to know…"

"That's not fair," Savannah jumps off the bed and runs out of the room, crying again. Lucy starts to call her back, but gives up with a huge sigh and rolls her eyes.

"I thought I had all those Biblical concepts down for her," Lucy tells me. "Dad and I went over those ones that explain death and tragedy…all those hours of teaching…I hope it doesn't all go down the tubes when she hits her teens."

"I doubt it," I reassure her. "After all, unlike most other kids and unlike Matt, she has the benefit of being taught by her mother and grandpa at home, not by a bunch of strangers in the great glorified prisons that call themselves 'public schools'."

"Thank God for that," Lucy says as we kiss. "And thank God you and I both survived that glorified prison and were strong enough to resist those brainwashers who claimed the title of 'educators' to hide their real agenda of turning us into socialist state servants."

By late afternoon, the Camdens are ready to leave. I hang around to say goodbye to them. I give Annie one last hug, then discreetly give Lucy one last kiss.

Ruthie stares at me vacantly, then turns away. I glare at her. The twins snicker and I glare at them also.

"I'll call you as soon as I can when we get there," Lucy tells me.

Eric dials his cell. At first, I wonder who he's trying to reach.

It's obvious a minute later when he bangs the phone closed and mutters, "Still holding his grudge at this time of tragedy…I really wish he'd picked up and come home to help out around here…but he'll just hold this thing against his mother for years and drag me into it…let's go…bye, Martin…see you again soon."

Simon again. I really think they should just throw in the towel with that weasel…Eric still hasn't had time to find me an attorney because of all this nonsense…and Simon is a large part of the nonsense.

There's no other option for me but to head home once again. As I walk down the street in the wake of the Camdens' departure, a rush of annoyance at Simon washes over me as it always does whenever he sleazes into my mind.

I can try to appeal to Dad again about the importance of my attorney. He does have an moral obligation to his own family, especially his own son.

His years in the military would have taught him about duty and honor and it would add family to that list of duty to. And I certainly qualify much more than Sandy, who's not family and has the morals of a sewer rat. Definitely her horrid friend, Rose would _never_ qualify as anyone Dad has any duty or obligation to.

* * *

But once I arrive home, two things derail my plan to get it though Dad's head about the importance of my attorney…the first is that Dad tells me he plans to either sell or rent out the house after the Christmas holidays.

I stand in utter shock as he tells me this casually and calmly as if he's telling me he's getting coffee. What makes it even more bizarre is that he's telling me this as he's pulling his newly dried towels from the dryer in the laundry room right off the kitchen.

"So, what you need to do is land something, any job that pays some rent and make plans to move on out by January…split an apartment with roommates if you have to, Martin…because I plan to get a condo myself…I need to move on and so do you…you're a young adult and it's time you start finding your own niche instead of depending on me to do it for you."

"So how am I supposed to find this 'niche' if you're going to sell my home from right under me and I have to end up moving to some crummy little closet of an apartment that I have to share with this roommate?" I demand once my jaw closes.

Dad shrugs, which annoys me once again. "I can't tell you how to do that, Martin. It's something you have to do by trial and error just like I did. And you'll have more incentive to do so when you're in a place where you are paying your own bills and making your own way. I'm not going to spend my retirement years supporting you or taking care of you…I'm getting old…too old for this…"

"You really haven't 'taken care' of me, Dad," I inform him. "You sure didn't when Sandy walked out on me."

"You're an adult…you're twenty-two…if you can marry and take care of that, you can certainly take care of your own divorce without my rescuing you from your own mistakes…"

"Well, I didn't ask for your help this time!" I snap. "I'm taking care of things with Sandy myself…I'm suing for custody of my sons…and I'll take care of them…and if you're that anxious to get rid of this house, I can buy it from you…you can move out and buy your condo and let me live here myself with my sons…"

"Oh?' Dad raises his eyebrows. "Where would you get not only the money for the down payment and utility bills? Not to mention acquiring a strong credit background?"

His question trips me and I don't know how to answer that one. But I attempt to. "I'll get another job! Didn't I tell you that? I can pay a bit at a time…"

"What kind of job would pay for the mortgage and other bills?" Dad asks. "Not to mention the fees you'll be paying for the divorce and if you sue for custody, the fees from that battle…not to mention all the boys' expenses…what field are you looking into? And don't tell me baseball because the chance of making large income from that is one in two thousand or so."

I actually never gave any thought to how much the mortgage of this house costs. Nor did I anticipate utility charges…and I forgot about how expense kids are when you don't have your parents to help out. Speaking of helping out…

"I'll think of something…and Dad, can you help me get the boys? All's you'd have to do is show up in court one day and testify to Sandy's shady past…"

"Oh, no…no," Dad shakes his head as he places the last towel in the basket, picks it up, and walks out of the laundry room. "I am _not_ getting in the middle of that fight…you'll have to prove you're a worthy father, not rely on me to cover for you…and I will certainly not badmouth Sandy or spill out her private life to please you."

That's the second bombshell from Dad that ruins my plan. It makes me so furious I scream, "THANKS A _LOT_, DAD!"

Dad just ignores me and goes upstairs. I start to follow, but it's useless. He's useless. He closes the door to his bedroom and locks me out.

I don't know how long I stand there fuming at Dad's lack of loyalty and his hair-brained scheme to sell my home out from under me just so he can have more money for his future and wants a condo for himself.

It's dark when I finally can move again. I make myself a quick dish of steak-um meats and cook some veggies and eat them downstairs in front of the television alone.

Bitter resentment wells within me as I stare around and realize that my own dad can just sell this out from me and force me out of my own room. Already this doesn't feel like home anyway.

And as Dad informed me, this really isn't my own place; it's Dad's place to do as he feels like with it, no matter how badly he screws me over to do what he wants. Deeper rage rushes into me when I think of Sandy on the other side doing her best to screw me over…especially with Rose and Simon's help.

I am so sick and tired of being screwed over, especially by people who are supposed to be on my side and who owe me their loyalty. I laugh ironically in my bitterness because the only people I can think of who have not tried to pull crap on me are Lucy, Eric, and Annie…three people who aren't related to me by blood and really have not known me all that long…just a few years.

I can't stand to be in this house much longer. I especially don't want to wait a week or two for the Camdens to get back, so I get up, throw some overnight things into a duffel bag, deciding that I can find a way to join Lucy.

Lucy or Eric can buy a plane ticket for me to fly over. Annie will love having me there since she needs all the support she can get.

I call Lucy's cell. She doesn't pick up, so I gather she must be busy trying to keep Annie from ending up in a nut barn or attempting to keep Savannah under control.

In a short message, I tell her that I am on my way to the airport and that if she could please get me a ticket for tonight or early tomorrow morning, I'd appreciate it. I tell her that I want to offer support and extend it to Sarah and her family if they will let me.

"I never knew Matt well, but I'm sure the Glasses came to love him as their own son and are just as devastated as we are…so I'd like to be there and offer condolences…thanks, Luce…I love you," I conclude before I disconnect.

Then I pick up my duffel, leave my cell on, and drive to the airport to wait for Lucy's call.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N_: Hi, glad I finally, finally got time to update! Sorry it's been so long (since late June!)

With the final Harry Potter film finally out, my friends and I were having Harry Potter farewell parties and seeing the film over and over again, so I was drinking in my Potterholism…but I finally squeezed in time to write chapter 12, so you all are reassured that I have not abandoned this story at all.

It's interesting; I was thinking how much alike Draco and Martin are; so are Ruthie and Dudley Dursley not to mention Lucy and Petunia Dursley. I had an interesting dream where they were stuck with each other someplace and of course hated each other…and Martin ran off shrieking _Warlock_…_evil here in Glen Oak! _It made me laugh.

I hope I get time also to write more Harry Potter fanfic since I love Harry; he's sweet and just lovely. And I do highly recommend seeing the great final film.

Well, here's the latest with the usual disclaimers that the _7__th__ Heaven _characters, places, and events that fans recognize are not mine…enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

12

It's quarter to nine at night when Lucy finally returns my call. Until then, I mostly hang around the airport bar, have coffee and a salad and watch a college football game on their television.

"It's crazy here," Lucy sighs. "Oooomph…Dad and the Colonel got into one of their arguments…the twins and Ruthie bickered nonstop on the flight over and the Air Marshall had to give them a warning…Ruthie screamed something back and the Marshall threatened to order a landing and have her thrown off the plane…Mom just cried nonstop and was no help, so Dad and I had to settle them down…I mostly quieted the boys and Dad had to threaten Ruthie…ever since then she's been sulking and not talking to anybody…"

"Wow…" I say. "So did you get the ticket?"

"Yes…and good news…your flight is nonstop and leaves at twelve-thirty tonight…it should arrive here in the morning…I can pick you up at the airport, so you won't have to deal with cabs and that mess…are you…?"

"I'm at the airport now," I say.

"Great," Lucy says. "I'm so glad you're coming after all…I talked Dad into okaying it also…and Mom could use your support…she has to deal with not only the twins and Ruthie, but the Glasses as well…not to mention Simon…"

"Is he over there?"

"No…Rosina called and they've talked, but he hasn't called any of us…so we don't know where he's staying…I think it's with the Glasses…Mom's upset about that also…you'd think in a time like this, Mom and Simon could put aside their silly issues with each other and come together as a family…wheeeesh…"

"You can say that again…they're both so childish…" I agree. "Thanks for the ticket…I'll see you in the morning."

"Call me when you get here and I'll pick you up."

* * *

Even though I'm wearing a jacket, I'm still a bit shocked at the cold New York wind that blows on me. I shiver and hunch inside my jacket, but it's still uncomfortably chilly. It's also overcast and gray. What a contrast from sunny, pleasant Glen Oak, I think wryly.

I head back inside for a while, periodically checking out for her. This airport is enormous compared to Glen Oak's airport.

Lucy arrives in about an hour. I wave so she doesn't miss me. Unfortunately, Savannah and Rick are with her.

"Hi, hope you didn't get frostbite yet," Lucy smiles at me.

"Not yet…" I laugh, happy to see her.

We exchange a kiss before I buckle up and she takes off. It's so good being with her. I try not to look at the kids, although I do say hello to them to be polite.

Rick waves quickly, but Savannah just silently stares at me from her car seat in the back. The kids and Lucy are completely bundled up. Lucy has two hats on her head. I wish I had something heavier against the cold up here.

"I bet you're hungry," Lucy tells me. "Want to grab some breakfast before we get to the funeral?"

"Sure."

We stop at a diner and have scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, and coffee. The kids have the pancakes and juice. Savannah eats little and once in a while looks at me with huge eyes.

"How's Annie this morning?" I ask.

"Still in bad shape," Lucy rolls her eyes. "Honestly, you'd think she'd try to pull herself together for the funeral. When I left the Colonel's house to get you, the others drove down here for the funeral…once Mom and Dad got down here, the Glasses were there and were just crying all over the place, which got Mom started again….I left to come for you right then."

"They're sad because Uncle Matt's dead," Savannah puts in.

"Yes, sweetie," Lucy tells her. "I know it's a very sad time for the entire family…but we have to be strong…pull through this time. Trust that God has a reason for this…for taking Matt…"

"But God didn't 'take' Uncle Matt…that evil man did…he stabbed Matt…"

"It was an accident," Lucy tries to placate her. "A terrible accident and it's a loss for all of us, but we have to keep trusting in God. This is the time to hold on to our faith the most…so finish your pancake because we have to leave in a few minutes so we can be strong for Grandma and the Glasses and pray for them."

* * *

When we get to the synagogue, everyone's gone.

"The service part must be over," Lucy says, her eyes wide in surprise. "We missed it and they just left without us…come on...we'll ride over to the cemetery…"

Fortunately, she knows where it is. We arrive and see the group all in black and dark gray huddled together. Cars jam the nearby parking lot, so Lucy has to pull over and park on the entrance road and we have to walk a bit in the cold.

The wind is worse and I attempt to pull the collar of my jacket over the lower part of my face. But it just makes the jacket ride up my waist so the wind slaps my back and stomach.

Not only are the Glasses there, but there are a whole bunch of people I don't know. The Glasses are clinging to each other with tears running down their faces, but at least they're crying quietly.

A woman with long curly dark hair stands nearby with two crying kids and I gather that she is Sarah. Sarah also is teary-eyed. Leaning on her is none other than Simon.

Simon is a complete mess. Not only is he crying so hard his face is blotchy red and his bushy brows are jerking upward in a slant at the bridge of his nose, his hair is a stringy mess and he's shaking in bursts.

As soon as Lucy, the kids, and I get to them, Savannah runs over to Simon and gives him a hug as if he's some long lost pal of hers.

He hugs her back and cries all over her hair. Savannah's saying something to him, but so softly I can't hear.

"Ugh…" I can't help muttering.

The rabbi is speaking and saying something in a prayer over a casket. I can assume Matt's body is inside there. The rabbi continues as if she didn't see or hear us.

"Savannah!" Lucy calls.

By now, Savannah's hugging the Glasses and Sarah, talking to them as if they're best buddies. She even lets Sarah's twins cry all over her.

Lucy waves her daughter back to us impatiently. Savannah pulls away slowly and trots back to Lucy.

"Why is Martin here?" brays a nasty little voice. Unfortunately the voice belongs to Ruthie. She's glaring at me, even as a tear is on her cheek.

Eric glares her into silence and smiles over at me briefly, even though his eyes are bloodshot. "Martin…good to see you."

Next to Eric, Annie is crouched on her knees, bowed as if she's collapsed right there in front of everyone. Across the way, Simon is eyeing me as if I'm an intruder, despite the tears still cascading down his messed-up face. He's not wearing his glasses and his eyes are not only red, but bloodshot as if he'd been drunk for a week.

I try to ignore him and tell Eric, "I just thought I'd come and offer my support…I never knew Matt that well, but I know you all loved him very much…despite his being so far and marrying outside our family bonds, I'd grown to love him also…"

It's a half-truth, but worth it, especially for the Glasses' benefit and for their other friends. And also Simon should see this, so maybe his horrid attitude will stop poisoning this family's minds. The last thing I need is for the Glasses and their friends to think I'm this terrible ogre. I wouldn't put it past Simon to have badmouthed me to all of them.

I reach out and pull Annie to her feet. Annie's sobs start anew again and she clings to me like a rag doll, as if her bones are too weak to hold her up. There's dirt on the knees of her black skirt and her stockings.

"Oh, Maaaaaartin, I'm glad you've g-go-ome…" Annie wipes her blotchy red face. "I really g-guuuuuuld use your subborrrrrrt…" Annie's face is even a bigger mess than Simon's. She'd put on some makeup, but it's smeared now with black mascara streaks on her cheeks.

"Any time you need me, Mrs. Camden, I'm here," I try to soothe her. I smile down at her, but out of the corner of my eye, I see Simon stare at me through glassy eyes as if I'm some criminal, so I put on a somber face before I add, "We all know Matt's in a better place with God…and I know just what you and Mr. Camden are going through since I lost my mother also…"

Lucy smiles at me and nods, but Simon is shaking his head as if I'd shown up drunk or something. Close by, four people are giving me rather dirty looks as if I'd insulted Matt. I suspect they're all siblings. Two of those siblings look at each other.

Sarah and her parents stare at me as if surprised at what I'd said. I'd think they'd feel better knowing Matt's in a better place.

Next to Sarah, a woman I don't know starts to cry again as she puts her hand over her mouth. I hope she's not crying because I'm here. Jeez.

I go to stand to one side of Eric and Annie. Simon swallows suddenly and is looking away as if he's grossed out by me. Or maybe he's grossed out by the fact that Lucy and I have a relationship. Well, that makes it even because I'm just as grossed out by most of what Simon does, especially his so-called "relationships."

Sarah's face has gone white and she is staring at me as if still shocked. I suspect Simon has badmouthed me to her and she believes his crap and probably thinks I shouldn't be here. Well, I really don't care what she and her family think because I have a right to be there for Lucy and the parents who took me into their home.

Lucy comes over to stand by me and she takes my hand and smiles up at me. I'm glad to have her with me. She knows…and she knows why I'm here.

Ruthie twists over her mother and gives me a nasty glare, but Lucy and I ignore her and watch the casket being lowered into the ground. Annie's sobbing again, this time more quietly as the Glasses and some others mutter things, maybe prayers and toss these little flowers after the casket.

Holding Annie to me, I let her cry into my chest. All around me, sobs intermingle with the wind and faces all over are wet with tears.

Most of the people here are strangers to me. I never know Matt had so many friends and followers. And I didn't know the Glasses had all sorts of cousins, aunts, and uncles.

I try to avoid looking at Simon as he tosses his flower down. He's shaking and crying hard again with his brows spazzing upward over the bridge of his weird pug nose and his whole face just contorting in a disgusting way. He moves his stretched out mouth as if he's trying to say something, but then he just dissolves into wordless sobs.

I manage to tear my eyes away and keep holding onto Annie. The crowd eventually thins out after the casket is buried. Eric comes forward and adds a flower himself on top of the casket before we head to our cars.

"So, are we going to go to some Tivar thing?" Sam asks as we head back to our cars.

"No…and what on earth is a 'tivar'? Lucy demands.

"You know…Sarah and her family…they're going to sit around Sarah's house and eat for a week…" Sam says. "And the shape they're in they'll probably cry the whole time…Simon said he's going."

"Oh…that's called sitting Shivah," Eric tells him. "It's a Jewish custom after the funeral."

"Simon just left again without a word to us," Annie moans.

"He's too busy crying," Sam tells her. "His face is even uglier than ever with all that crying he's doing."

In the end, we do decide to drop over to Sarah's for a little while out of politeness, but we certainly don't plan to sit "shivah" for days on end. And Matt wasn't even Jewish.

* * *

The Shivah is muted with people talking softly and not doing as much crying, thank God. There is a huge refreshment table with a ton of food. Some people come to eat, Lucy and I included, but most of the others sit and just talk quietly.

Sam and David also hang around the table, eating. Sam gives me dirty looks and I glare back, but mostly ignore him.

"Thanks for coming," Lucy's holding a plate of grapes and crackers that she offers me.

I take some. She even pops a few grapes into my mouth for me and giggles. I smile back at her.

"I'm glad I could…" I say. "I never knew Matt and Sarah had all these people."

"Yeah…" Lucy agrees. "I don't even know many of them…but those four siblings over there…" she indicates with a grape toward the family I saw with the four siblings. "That's the Hamiltons."

"And I have no idea what Heather and Shana are doing here…they're Matt's ex-girlfriends," Lucy rolls her eyes.

"Ex-girlfriends?" I say in amazement. "I'd think Sarah wouldn't want them around at her own husband's funeral."

"Yeah…Matt and Sarah always have been weird in that way…" Lucy tells me. "In fact, that's Heather right there talking to Sarah and Simon."

Heather's a brunette with shoulder length hair and she's sitting by Sarah and even talking to her twins. She gestures with her hands in an odd way.

At least neither Sarah or Simon seem to be crying for now, but especially Simon's still a red-eyed mess. He mostly stands by Sarah with this mopey look on his face.

At one point, Eric and Annie come over, but Simon moves away. Annie's crying again and reaching out as if she wants to touch Simon. Simon turns and says something, then turns away. I can also see he's about to start crying again.

"You'd think Simon and Annie would drop their drama just for this day," I laugh a little.

"Yeah…" Lucy agrees. "But Mom's kind of too self-centered to do that…she's still pleading forgiveness from Simon…and Simon still wants to hold the grudge over her head…look at that, just turns his back on both of them…and Mom doesn't know when to stop."

"They're both drama junkies," I say. "Simon and Annie are alike in that way."

"They both need to grow up and cut all of this out," Lucy gripes. "Learn to be a family again…I don't know what we're going to do if they're still carrying on like this at Thanksgiving…and during all the holidays."

Simon's so intent on getting away from his own mother that he trips over a chair.

"What a klutz," I laugh a little.

"There's John to his rescue," Lucy says.

Sure enough, the oldest of the Hamilton siblings has approached Simon and is putting a hand on his shoulder and talking to him. Simon leans heavily into John's chest and just cries all over again.

Behind the table, Sam is giggling and tosses grapes across the table at us. Fortunately most of them miss and land on the floor. David's shoveling in crackers as if he hasn't eaten for a year.

"Hey, David, get a load of that bunch over there," Sam says. David keeps eating and doesn't answer.

"Hey, David….heyyyyy!" Sam reaches over and grabs David's pants.

"Cuuu-oooo…owwwghhh…" David's mouth is full, so whatever he's saying is unclear.

He starts to move away from Sam, but Sam has the back of his pants in a grip. David jerks away and his pants almost come right down, exposing part of his underpants.

"Daviiiid…" Sam snarls. David smacks at Sam and they tumble over to the floor. Lucy glares at them. A middle-aged-looking redheaded woman comes over to them and pulls them to their feet.

"Boys…" she scolds. "Have you both forgotten this is your brother's shivah and not a park fair?"

"No, but it's Sam's fault," David complains.

"No, it wasn't, you just ignored…" Sam starts, but the woman tells them, "It doesn't matter who started what…but you're expected to have a little bit more respect for not only your brother's memory, but his family and friends…and conduct yourselves with more decorum."

With that, the woman stalks off.

"Some great-aunt of Sarah's," Lucy tells me. "I don't know her name, but she's nosy…did you see the way she just butted in and disciplined the boys as if they were her own?"

I nod.

"I guess it's a good thing _somebody_ stepped in and got those boys under control…Mom's in no shape to do it herself…Mom's been too busy with all her senseless crying and feeling sorry for herself," Lucy complains. "Eric and I have had to do everything since Matt died…Mom can be so selfish…our family's falling apart and all Mom can think about is herself."

"She's lucky she has you and Eric," I tell her and give her another kiss. "And you know you have me…always."

"Awww, thanks, Martin." Lucy leans on me and pops another grape into my mouth.

* * *

"He still won't talk things out with me," Annie's complaining in the car on the way back up to the Colonel's house. "I'd hoped that this tragedy…this loss…" Annie sniffles. "…would bring us all together again as a family. But Simon's too darned stubborn…he just can't move past his issues with me…"

"His loss," I say.

Annie, Lucy, Savannah, Eric's parents, and I are in one minivan with the Colonel driving while Eric is driving the other car with Ruthie, Rick, Sam, and David.

"Annie, Simon just needs some room," the Colonel says. "You and Simon…it takes longer for the two of you to heal…and Simon's a sensitive boy…and he's been through two terrible shocks recently…he still needs lots of time to re-group…longer than the average person…the only thing you can do is step back and also let him know how sorry you and Eric are for what he's been through."

"What about what I'm going through?" Annie moans. "This isn't easy for me either…I did the best I could…tried to give Simon as normal a childhood as possible even though he was different…only to have it all blow up in my face…and also no thanks to Ruthie…I'll probably never forgive her for stabbing me, her own mother in the back like this…and yet she acts as if it's all my fault!"

"I think Ruthie knows that what she did was wrong, so she's covering it all up by blaming you," I put in.

"Yeah…but what does it do to me?" Annie wails. "I'm being made out as the villain here…I always wind up cast as the bad guy and I'm just getting tired of it all…I'm sick of it…and Eric's been no help lately…can you try to talk to your son…Colonel…Ruth?"

"I've tried," Ruth says. "And your father-in-law has…but it hasn't done any good…Eric's as stubborn as Simon and Ruthie…and he doesn't like any advice his father gives…so Annie, you're not the only one whose offspring turns you away…you do have to step back and just…try to see your reactions…try not to lay blame…"

"_MY_ reactions?" Annie practically shrieks. "See, here it goes again! Always the blame on me!" Annie pounds her chest a few times. "Ruthie created this situation and Simon's exacerbating it by carrying on and on…knowing Simon, he'll carry this on through Christmas…is that _MY_ fault? Huh? Is it?"

Ruth has fallen silent and is working on some kind of knitting project. She doesn't respond to Annie's hysterical outburst. I think she's realizing that Annie's impossible to reason with now.

The Colonel mutters something that sounds like a prayer…or maybe something about an army song. I can't make out what it is.

"Mom…" Lucy says. "I think perhaps we should take some deep breaths…use this time of trial to communicate with God…perhaps try to get in touch with God tonight, Mom…put it all in the Lord's hands…I am sure he has a reason for putting this trial on you…it'll take some time…just as I know God has a reason for Matt's dying…we won't know what it is for a while, but it'll come to us in the future sometimes…we just have to wait and see…and pray for our spiritual calm…accept God's will as good for us and our souls…and that includes thankless, disrespectful children who fail to see our best intentions…"

Annie sits back and studies Lucy a minute out of the corner of her eyes. Then she sighs and seems to go limp. Tears glisten in her eyes, but this time she doesn't dissolve into another round of her uncontrollable crying.

"I guess I can try it…" Annie mutters.

"See, just as you did the right things with Simon and Ruthie…especially in raising Simon as a legitimate son and keeping his childhood normal in an intact family…God does what's right for us…even if we don't understand it at this time…and perhaps Ruthie and Simon will later see that you did the right thing," Lucy tells her.

* * *

After dinner, I wait until the dining room's empty. I then silently open the china cabinet, take two crystal goblets out, reach in the buffet below and take up one of the bottles of red wine the Colonel and Ruth store in there. I quietly take it up to my room and stow it under my bed.

Lucy and I have made loose plans for a late-night rendezvous tonight in the guest room I'm staying in, so I'll surprise her with a romantic wine toast.

We're going to wait until everyone else is asleep since we know Annie and Eric insist that unmarried couples sleep in separate rooms. Lucy and I definitely do _NOT_ plan to have intimate relations. I've learned from my mistake with Ruthie.

Lucy and I are waiting until marriage. We're just going to talk and kiss some. I'm bringing wine over as a surprise.

We're not drinkers, but once in a while, Lucy and I have an occasional wine just like Eric and Annie do on romantic occasions. It's time Lucy and I began celebrating the beginning of our love, especially now that we have Eric and Annie's blessing.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N_: Good, good…got time for _another_ chapter, which I know will make readers here happy. More on post-funeral happenings. Really, I think Martin Brewer and Draco Malfoy deserve each other. Lucy also reminds me of Dudley…spoiled, undisciplined and self-centered.

It's fun writing about them because they do themselves in with their foolishness…but onward with the usual disclaimers…I do wish Harry Potter and Simon were mine…Simon in some ways reminds me of Harry…enjoy and also thanks so much for all the great reviews; I love reading them!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

13

Thankfully, Ruthie knows to pretty much stay away from me, so I'm lucky enough not to have any run-ins with her. I suspect much of it is because Eric has given her warnings not to start in on me.

So most of her hostility and stupidity is aimed at Sam and David, who fire right back at her and at Annie. She's still blaming Annie for the whole mess with Simon and also is still fuming at Simon for ratting her out about her pregnancy.

I'm in my guest room pretending to read when I hear Ruthie yelling something in the hall.

"I've had it with everybody in this stinkin' family!" Ruthie's screaming. "I'm sick of everybody stamping all over me…I'm taking it from Martin and Lucy; I'm taking it from Mom and Dad; I got crapped on by Simon, so I'm not about to take it from you!"

"So watcha gonna do?" I hear David snarling. "Beat us up? 'Cause Dad already told you if you messed with us, you'd be punished when we got home! And you're already in enough trouble as it is because of your slutting around and your illegitimate baby."

"I'm just not gonna take it from you!" Ruthie screams. "I'm going downstairs away from the stupidity from you brats! I still hate that day you two came into this world!"

"Awww, you're insulting God," Sam chants. "Mom tells us that God made us and put us into this world, so we have just as right to be here as you, Ruthie Camden!"

Ruthie stamps past my door just as I turn off my lamp. I guess she is really headed downstairs someplace. I wonder where she will sleep since Eric has put her in a room adjacent to the twins.

"Where're you going, Ruthie?" Lucy's voice comes from the end of the hall. "Aren't you supposed to be in your room down there?"

"Mind your business!" Ruthie snaps back. "And where are you sneaking to yourself?"

"The bathroom, not that it's any of _your_ business!" Lucy hisses back.

Unlike Ruthie, who's yelling and carrying on, Lucy's keeping her voice low.

"Riiiight…and I guess you're going on a little detour…like Martin's room?" Ruthie keeps up her nonsense.

"No, I'm going to the bathroom…and what Martin and I do is none of your business…Martin's not yours anymore, Ruthie…you had your chance with him and blew it…"

"Martin's the one who screwed me over along with that rat Simon!" Ruthie yells.

"Okay, what are you two carrying on about?" Eric voice demands. "Ruthie, you probably woke Martin and everyone else up…have some consideration for other people for a change!"

"I was just going to the bathroom, Dad and Ruthie was coming down the hall and starting accusing me of sneaking around with Martin…as if I'd just go in an wake him up…unlike you, Ruthie, I have consideration for others," Lucy says. "If you two will excuse me, I really do have to go."

I smile in the dark. Lucy is most likely shifting a bit on her feet, pretending that she really does have to pee badly.

I guess Eric buys her story because I hear the bathroom door slam a second later.

"Ruthie…go back to your room and be silent for the night," Eric orders sternly. "I really don't want to hear any more from you tonight or for the rest of this trip…our family is going through enough without you constantly making trouble for everyone."

"I don't…!" Ruthie starts again, but Eric I guess manages to shut her up.

"Not. Another. Word." Eric speaks slowly and coldly.

The only other sound I now hear is Ruthie shuffling down the hall. She slams the door of the room she and the twins are staying in. Eric himself heads back to bed. His door closes, but more softly.

I guess Lucy wants to make sure everyone else is asleep. Footsteps go down the hall again, but they are not Lucy's.

It's Ruthie heading downstairs after all, I realize. I wonder where she is planning to sleep tonight, but realize I don't care. She can sleep out on the street for all I care.

I can't imagine why I liked Ruthie and it seems strange that at one time I really cared for her. Her lies and games took care of that; she's demolished any feelings I've ever had for her. Now thinking about her brings only contempt and indifference in me.

I'll support her baby, but that's it. She won't get an ounce of love or any more affection from me. I'm seriously through with her.

I'd like to think that one day Annie and Eric will be done with her. Maybe with a little luck, they'll wise up and toss her out of the house on her tail and take the baby and raise it themselves.

A knock sounds on the door. I get up and open it. Lucy slides in silently.

"Good…made it," I whisper.

We smile at each other and sit on the bed and kiss. When I bring out the wine, Lucy gasps with delight.

"Wow…you really did prepare for tonight."

"I sure did…nothing but the best," I pour the wine into two goblets and we toast.

"To the two of us and our love," I say.

"Cheers," we add simultaneously and sip.

"Hey, sorry if you heard Ruthie's carrying on out there…" Lucy rolls her eyes.

"It's all right," I say. "I know how she is."

"I guess I've always known that she's a pill," Lucy sips again and puts her glass on a dresser. "But I guess since we're older, Ruthie's gotten even worse…she never could think about anyone but herself…I'm glad you see that now."

"Yeah…you know…I guess I always kind of saw that, but I guess since we were in high school…" I start, groping for words.

"It was just you and her at the house then along with Kevin and me," Lucy adds. "And I was with Kevin…I really don't know how I ended up wasting the best years of my life with that jerk."

"I remember how you and Kevin were always fighting even when you two were first married…your parents often had to settle your fights…Kevin was always so slow on the uptake…that elevator didn't go all the way up with him…it's a wonder a woman like you tried to stick it out with that bum for that long…I guess you were trying to hold your family together for the sake of the kids…I love you for that…didn't he want to put them in day care at one point and move away from your parents?"

"Yeah," Lucy nods. "I never did completely forgive him for that…Mom could have easily babysat for Savannah…but Kevin was such a jerk about it…instead of saving our money, he wanted us to waste money on not only daycare, but on paying a mortgage or rent. I tried to point out how much money we were saving by having Mom help take care of Savannah and by staying with my parents…not to mention Savannah raised by her own parents and not strangers…"

Lucy leans back and pulls up her feet. She's barefoot and I see she's polished her toenails a hot pink. I smile at the hot pink toenails.

"But Kevin just wouldn't hear of it…I get the feeling he poisoned Mom against the idea at the time because when I finally did tell Mom about what I wanted, Mom put on this front that she didn't want to take care of her own granddaughter."

Lucy puts on a good imitation of what Annie must have said then.

"She kind of laughed like this…" Lucy imitates this plastic laugh that Annie sometimes emits. "And said, _That's really funny_…_hehehe_…_no_…_I don't want to watch Savannah_. I tried to tell her how important this was, but she just kept up with this little _no_…_no_ as if I'd asked her to rob a bank for me or something. Her own granddaughter…and she puts on a show of being there for her family."

"Wow…that was selfish of her," I say. "And it's not even like she was working…she had plenty of time."

"Yeah…she's come around since…but that day she really let me down," Lucy rolls her eyes. "And so did Kevin…I mean when you're married you stand by your partner no matter what…and Kevin wasn't doing that…not to mention wanting hand over his own daughter…_MY_ daughter as well…to strangers in some government institution…" Lucy huffs indignantly.

"…and we all know how those day care places have all those germs…as if we needed Savannah to pick up something there, especially from those other kids…I think that was when things started falling apart between us."

"Man…" I sigh. "And I thought all through high school I was dealing with Ruthie's crap…"

"Yeah…That day she de-pantsed you, she got a ride with Kevin and me…she complained nonstop and was so rude that I had to tell her to shut up…I remember she acted like you were her personal chauffer or something."

"I remember that day…I was ready to kill her…she always did have an overblown sense of entitlement…no wonder she didn't have any other friends besides me and maybe Mac and Vince…without us, she'd have been completely alone all during high school," I say. "But I'm so done with her."

"Good…she doesn't deserve you."

"And Kevin sure didn't deserve you," I reach for the remote control. "Want to watch TV for a while?"

"Sure."

We lean close and watch a few reality shows and one late night talk show, keeping the television on low volume.

Time passes so quickly that it's five before Lucy heads back to her room. We kiss one last time.

"I wish I could stay longer, but the others will be up soon," Lucy whispers.

I nod and kiss her goodnight…or good morning and she heads back quietly. By then I've turned off the TV. We were careful not to fall asleep until Lucy went back to her room. Once she leaves, I doze for a couple of hours until breakfast.

* * *

Lucy and I turn out to be the first ones in the kitchen for breakfast that morning. By then, the sun is rising. Lucy makes pancakes and bacon while I make sausages, toast, and coffee.

As we're eating, I can hear sounds of others getting up in the upstairs bedrooms. The Colonel sounds like he's speaking on the phone.

Footsteps pad down the stairs. I idly wonder who is coming down.

The answer comes a minute later when Annie's voice demands from the den, "Ruthie…what are you doing down here? Huh?"

"I felt like it…I'd had enough of Sam and David's stupidity…they're too immature to share a place with…"

"Your father _TOLD_ you to stay in your room for the night!" Annie's voice rises. "But you didn't…you've already caused enough trouble…you just _DISOBEYED_ your father and came down here anyway…well, Ruthie Naomi Camden, I'm getting FED UP with your lack of respect for this family!"

"Well, it's NOT ALL MY FAUUULT! Last night, I saw Lucy trying to sneak…!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO SHIFT THINGS ONTO ANYONE ELSE FOR YOUR ACTIONS!" Annie yells.

A thud sounds as if somebody has thrown something.

"Lucy was trying to sneak into…!" Ruthie starts to scream.

"I don't want to hear another word and you will _NOT_ ever throw another thing again in one of your tantrums, Ruthie!" Annie shrieks. "Now you finish getting dressed and get your junk out of here without any more complaints and blaming! Your conduct during this whole funeral and this entire trip has been nothing short of a DISGRACE!"

Annie leaves then and her footsteps retreat back upstairs. I guess she's getting packed to leave also.

"Our flight leaves at eleven-thirty," Lucy tells me as we finish eating.

Just as we're finishing, Eric comes in. Lucy and I stay and chat with him while he eats. Lucy's saved food and coffee for him.

"Thank you," Eric kisses her on her head. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Luce…and you've been great also, Martin…this loss has been hard on the whole family, but you both have made it easier to cope with."

Lucy and I smile at Eric, then each other as we head upstairs to pack our own things.

* * *

Lucy and I are fortunate enough to get seats together near the back. The others are seated someplace in the middle.

This flight is crowded. I wish we could afford first-class. But since we can't, Lucy and I have to make due with the over crammed cabin class and wedge near the window where our seats are assigned.

The third seat is occupied by a rather fat middle-aged woman with hair that looks like a skunk's tail…black with white streaks. She ignores us and works on her laptop.

Lucy and I get in a few kisses during the flight. Once in a while, I hear Sam and David's voices bickering. Eric has to settle them down a couple of times. I'm glad not to be near them.

Halfway there, Annie starts sobbing and it sounds as if she's pleading for the boys to stop. Rick and Kaylee cry on and off also.

"Hey, Ruthie…shut your kid up!" Sam barks.

"You do it since you think you're so big!" Ruthie snaps back. Muffled voices argue and it sounds as if Ruthie's crying also.

"You zhhust let them dizzz 'resepeggt me…" Ruthie complains, sniffling.

I really don't know who quiets Kaylee and I really don't care. I just try to enjoy this time with Lucy. With the holidays coming and also our wedding, we won't get too much time to ourselves in a while…at least until after Christmas. I just hope Eric can give us a great honeymoon.

Unfortunately, we have to catch a connecting flight in Dallas and that flight is delayed by two hours. So it's not until late that night that we make it home. Thank God Savannah, Kaylee, and Rick are asleep.

We sleepily stumble into the house. Ruthie tears upstairs without a word to any of us and shuts herself in her room.

Eric, Lucy, and I each put a kid on their beds for sleep. The message light is blinking and I hope there aren't any messages from Dad.

"Oh, drat, I forgot to tell my parishioners I'd be away…I'd told the church heads…but I hope those aren't parishioners asking where I was…" Eric mutters. He pushes the play button.

There are two from parishioners…but the third is an unexpected surprise…as if we need any more surprises.

"_Hello_…_it's Karen Kinkirk_…_Kevin's mother_…_I hope you get this message soon_…_by Wednesday, preferably_…_because I'm coming to town then_…_I'll be here for Thanksgiving_…_I've booked a nearby hotel room, so you won't need to worry about putting me up or anything_…_but I really do want to see my grandchildren_…"

Lucy is scowling and her face is growing red with indignation.

"_Lucy_…_I know there were hard feelings between you and my son when you two parted ways_…_but I hope you can put aside whatever hard feelings you have about Kevin and think of your grandchildren_…_and_ _allow them to have a relationship with their grandmother_…_their other grandmother on their paternal side_…_they deserve that much_…_I hope I can see them for the holidays and we can establish that bond_…_so, please_…_call me back and let's talk and make arrangements_."

Ms. Kinkirk clicks off.

"Wheeeeeeshhhhh…" Eric sighs.

"That…nervy…woman…" Annie snarls.

"Has a lot of gall!" Lucy sputters in a rage. Her face is tomato red at this point and she begins pacing. "As if this family doesn't have enough to cope with…my ex-husband's mother has to butt in! Well, I won't let her! Over my dead body will she invite herself over here and worm into my family…"

"Lucy…" Annie says. "I'm afraid if she wants to see her grandchildren…we can't stop her…not legally…she could even take us to court…as if we need that…so let's try to talk and reason with her…maybe if we can find a way to discourage her without actually going to battle with her…"

"Well, I'm not going to let her push me around with my own kids!" Lucy rants on.

"Why don't we all go to bed," I suggest before everyone gets completely worked up again. "We'll be rested and calmer…and we can think up something to deal with Mrs. Kinkirk…"

The last thing I need is for Kaylee and Rick to wake up and start crying all over again. I don't want to listen to them crying all night.

"Good idea, Martin," Eric sighs. "Come on…it's late…and I have to get up early tomorrow…"

Lucy splutters a bit more. Annie looks ready to burst into tears again, so I put an arm around Annie while Eric puts an arm around Lucy as we go to bed.


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N_: Hiii, thanks for reviewing, all of you! Enjoy this latest installation and the court drama that ensues and that Lucy and Martin create…I've never been through a divorce or custody case, thank goodness, so I don't know how accurate to real life the court scene will be…if there are any accuracy errors, it's not intentional…the usual disclaimers that the _7__th__ Heaven_ characters and places are not mine…

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

14

It's late the next morning after breakfast when there's a message from Dad. I'm helping Lucy organize some files and work folders for Savannah's worksheets in Eric's study. Savannah herself is working on a reading book on the dining room table.

Ruthie thankfully has stayed out of my way; she's been holed up in her bedroom. Eric and Lucy have alternated taking care of Kaylee since Annie also has been staying in the master bedroom, still mooning over Matt. I also suspect she's still moaning over Simon and Ruthie.

"_Hi, Martin_…_I was wondering where you are_…_probably the Camdens' house_…_well_…_you and Sandy have that court hearing for Wednesday_…_a court official came over looking for you to make sure you got the papers_…_I pointed her to the Camdens'_…_so I guess she's going there_…_you and Sandy also have another court date next Monday_…" Dad pauses.

"_I also want to ask what your plans are for Thanksgiving_…_your aunt really wants to spend time with both of us_…_she called this morning asking how you are_…_she wants to see you_…_and she's also wondering how the boys are_…_I haven't told her anything yet about you and Sandy_…_call me back and let me know_…_bye_…"

The court clerk has come by; she came at around nine, just as I was getting up. I have the papers and all. I go on down from the bathroom and re-join Lucy.

"This pile is the stuff I have to show the government bureaucrats," Lucy rolls her eyes. "I have to _prove_ that I'm educating my own daughter."

"They need to butt out of our private affairs," I say. "Let us raise our own kids the way we see fit…after all, this is America, not some communist police state."

"Yeah…I tried to tell that to them but they do it as an excuse to 'protect our children' as if parents can't be trusted to do the right thing," Lucy says. "Well, I can tell them that Savannah's learning how to read just fine…the colored flash cards Dad made for Savannah are better than any of those dull phonics textbooks the public schools use. None of the nonsense of 'sounding out' these little parts of words with my kids…she's learning whole words at once and can recognize them in the pictures in the books we use."

"I remember I always hated that in school…most of first grade was memorizing these 'long' letters and 'short' letters," I chuckle. "My first grade teacher made us chant things like _aaaaay_, _aaaay_, _aaaaay_, then _aaaaah_, _aaaaah_, _aaaah_, and _awww_, and _uhhhh_, and all this other sounding out stuff for hours on end. We'd have to memorize them…I don't even remember how we applied those to actual words in the readers."

I don't remember my first grade teacher's name, but she was skinny with black hair in this bun and she was a real phonics nut.

Lucy laughs. "My first grade teacher would have us read from our readers and if we made any mistakes or didn't pronounce a word the way she wanted it, she'd interrupt and drawl, _Souuund it ouuuuuut_, _souuuund it ouuuut_. I'm glad I don't have to waste that kind of time on my kids; I think Savannah's learning to read faster than those public school kids."

"She and Rick certainly will have a leg up on all those other kids," I say, dividing some math papers. "They just might be the kids that finish high school by fourteen…maybe Savannah can follow in your footsteps…she'd be the youngest minister ever…or Rick…I can see them in the pulpit by sixteen…no long years of dragging through useless courses and dealing with bureaucracies just to graduate and get started with their lives."

"Dad could sure help there," Lucy adds. "He's the best and can guide the kids…my kids have a huge advantage that other kids don't have."

"Martin…" Eric pokes his head into the study.

"Yeah…" I look up.

"Your dad's on the phone…I tried to tell him you were busy, but he insists on talking to you."

I sigh. "Sure, tell him I'll be right there."

Once I'm on the kitchen phone, Dad greets me with, "I thought you'd be there at the Camdens…you got my earlier message?"

"Yeah…and I got the court papers. Did you find me a lawyer? I really need a good one."

"I did…"

"And?" I ask.

Dad tells me what he charges per hour. "I don't know it the next job you get can cover all that."

"So, you're not…?"

"No, I can't pay for your lawyer, Martin," Dad tells me.

"Thanks a heap," I snap sarcastically.

There's this tense pause before Dad goes on to say, "Well, listen…your aunt wants us to come up to New York for the Thanksgiving holiday…she hasn't seen us in a long while…she wonders how we're doing…how the boys are doing…she really wants to see you…I'm flying up there…will you join me?"

"I think I'll pass," I lean on the counter and take a pear from the fruit bowl. "The Camdens…they've been through a lot between Simon and Ruthie's dramas…and did you know Matt passed away last week?"

"No…passed…you mean…died?" Dad kind of takes in a breath. "That's awful…how did he die?"

"Stabbing," I say.

"How dreadful for them," Dad says. "It must be devastating especially for Sarah and their children."

"So you see why they need me…Annie's barely functioning as it is so Lucy and Eric really need me for support…this holiday's going to be tough for them…Matt's passing really hit them all hard…"

Dad sighs. "Well…pass my deepest condolences on to all of them…the Camdens…and Matt's widow and kids if you talk to them…tell all of them they're in my prayers this holiday…see you again soon, Martin."

"Yeah…happy Thanksgiving," I tell him before we disconnect.

Eating the pear, I grab one for Lucy and head back to the study, passing Eric and the boys in the living room. Eric is going over some science project with them.

It must be nice to be able to get individual attention like that constantly. Those boys and Lucy's kids are lucky, I think. I wish I could have gotten that kind of individual specialized education when I was growing up.

All's I remember about my school days is teachers lumping thirty or so kids together, sitting us in big, impersonal classrooms and making us memorize all kinds of useless stuff. I suspect half the teachers didn't even remember my name.

Not to mention all the immorality, filthy language, and negative peer pressure that goes on in school, especially nowadays.

In high school, all these girls would try to get me to have intimate relations with them…I remember when this one girl, Zoey got me to meet her in some park under the guise to seeing a meteor shower for some school project.

There was a meteor shower there, but I ended up staying out too late and missing a call from Dad, who'd been in Iraq at the time. Thanks to Zoey, I nearly got into trouble with Eric.

That never would have happened to me if I'd been home schooled. I am sure if Annie and Eric had the foresight to home school all their kids, Simon would not be the huge immoral mess he is today and he _NEVER_ would have gotten mixed up with all that pre-marital sex and drinking; he definitely would not be living in that awful ghetto up north, meandering from one temp job to another.

I snicker ironically under my breath as I realize that had Simon been raised right, he wouldn't have gotten mixed up with the likes of Sandy and Rose and gotten me mixed up with Sandy. Because of Simon being so messed up, Sandy's pregnancy happened to me and I ended up having not only one, but two kids I never planned for.

I re-enter Eric's study and offer Lucy the pear.

"You're welcome to stay over Thanksgiving," Lucy tells me when we're taking a break and eating our pears. "I know Dad would love to have you here."

"Thanks…" I tell her about my conversation with Dad, leaving out the part about my aunt's wanting me to go over to New York and about Matt.

If Dad feels that sorry for the Camdens over Matt's passing, he can come over to the church and tell them himself because I'm not going to be his messenger.

"He's gotten real stingy lately…I think he hopes that'll get me to leave the house for good so he can sell it and buy that condo he's so hot to get."

"It's like he doesn't care about all you're going through," Lucy says. "He seems to be just thinking about himself."

"Yeah," I agree. "And he won't even come to court to testify for me….no support when I need it…you're lucky to have your dad, Luce."

Lucy nods and puts her pear core into a napkin. "I can come to court with you on Wednesday, Martin."

"Will you?" I say, relieved.

"Sure…I can testify what a good father you are and all since I'm sure Sandy will probably get Rose in there with her and they'll slander you, trying to make you out to be some horrid dad from the crypt or something."

"Thanks…that means a lot to me, Luce," I hug her and she leans on me.

* * *

Eric finally has good news for me later this afternoon…he's found a divorce lawyer. He has him over, a Phil Hillandale.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Brewer," he says, shaking my hand once Eric introduces us in his study.

"You also…" We sit and I tell him about Sandy's leaving me and about her attempts to turn the boys against me. "I'd be perfectly willing to bury the hatchet with her and keep our family together, but she doesn't seem to want that…I know I can't force her to stay with me if she doesn't want it, so I just want to make this as painless as possible…I want to make sure I can still be a full-time father for my own sons…surely you can stop her from keeping my own sons from me, can't you?"

"I'm sure we can work something out that will be agreeable to all of you…your wife, the boys, and you," Phil nods. "Unless she can prove abuse, it's unlikely that you'd be denied your parental rights."

"Oh, good," I sigh and grin in relief.

I know I've never abused those boys. Even if Sandy has the gall to accuse me of it, she'd have no proof.

I go on to tell him that I have plenty of support with the Camdens, especially Lucy. "Would it be okay if she came to court with me Wednesday?"

"I can't see why not."

Just then, Kaylee toddles in, crying. I fight the urge to heave a sigh in annoyance at this interruption. The last thing I want to do is give Phil the impression that I hate kids or anything, so I smile at Kaylee, whose face is a splotchy wet mess of tears and snot.

"Whatsa matter, honey…" Eric gets up and picks her up.

"My almost-niece," I say as Eric carries her out and I guess wherever either Ruthie or Annie are. "She's my fiancée's sister's daughter. I adore her…my fiancée's from a large family."

Phil's also smiling. "Raised five kids myself…my wife and I…we're expecting our first grandchild in December."

"Congratulations," I say.

We make a bit of small talk about families for a while. Vaguely, I hear Ruthie complaining upstairs, but we manage to ignore it and concentrate on getting the details of the hearing mapped out within a half hour.

* * *

Wednesday. The first court date of Sandy and my divorce. Lucy is with me along with Phil. We're seated near the front.

The courtroom is very quiet. Only a few security guards are there along with two police officers and a court reporter who is already clacking away at a mini-laptop.

A few minutes pass. I begin to dare hope that maybe Sandy won't show up at all and the judge will rule everything in my favor. I stifle a smile as the judge enters, a tall black guy with silver aviator glasses.

But my hopes for an easy victory is short lived when rustling and footsteps sound in the back. I turn to see not only Sandy, but Rose and a woman I realize is Rose's mom. The woman has that same smug little face that Rose has.

I glare at them and turn to the front as they sit across from me. I wonder where Sandy's lawyer is.

"Aaaallllll rise…" the judge booms and we all do so.

As the case moves forward, I am shocked to realize that Rose's mom is actually Sandy's lawyer.

Once my turn comes, I whisper to Phil about where Sandy's boys are. Phil hints that he'd get to that once he's done speaking.

But he's already done, so I stand again and add, "That's the other thing…Sandy's balancing school and work…and where are the boys right now? They need the full-time care of a parent, which is something I along with my fiancée and her family can give…"

"Sit down," Judge Patterson bangs his gavel. "I am not asking for details on your fiancée's family at this time. We will deal with custody of the boys later."

Judge Patterson goes on to tell us the divorce settlements, which is very little since neither Sandy nor I own any real property. So the main thing is the boys.

Sandy, Rose, and Rose's mom can't wait to pounce on that one. Rose's mom, Larraine, waxes on about me allegedly "terrorizing" the boys and basically paints me as this horrid monster who'd make the worst dad in the world. I'm absolutely fuming by the time she's done slandering me.

Lucy's mad too. Her face is red and she erupts from her seat.

Phil puts up his hand as if to try to calm her, but she waves him off and tells the judge, "That's mostly lies and exaggerations! Sandy is the one who has turned Martin's own sons against him…they argued some, but Martin loves those boys and would _NEVER_ 'terrorize' them…let's take a look at Sandy's own loose morals and how that affects those boys…"

"That last part is irrelevant…" Judge Patterson bangs his gavel several times. "Please be seated, Mrs. Kinkirk or you shall be removed for disorderly conduct."

Phil is waving at Lucy to sit, but Lucy ignores him and rants on, "DISORDERLY CONDUCT?" She points at Sandy and Rose. "If you want to talk about DISORDERLY CONDUCT, take a look at the sleeping around Sandy did in college, which led to her getting pregnant with Aaron in the first place and the bad influences she hangs around with…and you, Rose and Larraine are fueling the flames…"

I groan as Judge Patterson flicks his wrist and two burly security officers grab Lucy's slender arms and lift her up, taking her out of the courtroom.

"Get oooffffaaa me!" Lucy shrieks, flailing, but they ignore her and drag her out of the room. "You should be _THROWN OFF THE BENCH!_" is Lucy's last shriek as they pull her out and the doors close in her face.

I stand. "Hey…" I start, but Phil taps my back and motions me to sit.

"I'd follow your lawyer's advice, Mr. Brewer," Judge Patterson peers down at me in such a condescending way that it makes me fume. But I sit, not wanting to have those buffoons called security dragging me out of my own case.

Phil slumps down and sighs. "Is this a regular thing with your fiancée?"

"No," I whisper, flustered and a bit embarrassed. "She's been through a lot of stress lately."

"I recommend she not accompany us on future court dates until this divorce and custody suit is settled," Phil declares.

"But that's…"

"It's for your case if you want to win the boys and have things in your favor."

"Okay, fine," I snap.

I see Rose smirking at the door, then at me and fight the urge to throw the nearby glass of water at her. I am also annoyed at Lucy herself for creating this scene. The last thing I need is for Judge Patterson to deny me custody because my fiancée acts crazy.

"I'm sorry about my fiancée's little outburst, Your Honor," I tell the judge, staying seated. "She's been under a great deal of stress…her brother died recently and with the holidays…you know…"

The judge nods coolly at me and continues. Phil peers at me without expression, but doesn't crack a smile like I'd hoped he would.

Sandy, Rose, and Larraine glance at me with these disdainful looks, then at each other.

For the rest of the hearing, Lucy doesn't come back into the courtroom. Occasionally, I hear her voice outside complaining and at one point, I hear her yelling, but it's all muffled, so everyone else can ignore it and go on with the hearing.

And unfortunately, Judge Patterson decides that for now, the boys are staying with Sandy at Rose's place. I open my mouth to protest, but Phil silently shakes his head at me, so I close my mouth fast before the judge can see me.

I nod as if I understand Judge Patterson's reasoning in favor of a woman with a promiscuous past who hangs around with witches like Rose and Larraine and scum like Simon…over me…the one who's moral, the one who is the upstanding son of a Marine and who has a fine Christian family like the Camdens behind me.

"FINALLY!" Lucy screeches as I come out. "They didn't even let me come back in! So what went on?"

"Well, the judge thinks you're crazy, thanks to your tantrum," I snap, heading toward my car. "And I am sure Rose, her mom, and Sandy are in their car, laughing all the way home…and my own lawyer thinks you shouldn't come to court again…"

Lucy rushes to catch up with me at the car. "What?"

We get into the car, slamming the doors.

"What's this about _YOUR_ lawyer wanting to ban me from the courtroom?" Lucy demands. "Is he in cahoots with the judge or something?"

"I don't know!" I snipe, my ire at her rising. She helped ruin things for me today.

"Then explain this business your lawyer has against me!" Lucy yells. "And in English! No legal mumbo jumbo!"

"Thanks to your immature little outburst back there, my case has been damaged," I tell her. "That's what Phil's hinting at, if you can get that!"

"I tried to help…!"

"Well, you didn't by carrying on like a two-year old!" I shout back. "And Rose and Sandy just loved it…and by the way, that judge ordered that the boys stay with Sandy for the time being, no thanks to you."

"But…I never…!" Lucy sputters in indignation as we pull up the Camden driveway.

I get out and slam the door, not waiting for Lucy. I enter, slamming the door. Savannah and Rick are in the living room and they stare up at me with huge eyes. Lucy enters after me, still sputtering.

"After all I supported you through, Martin Brewer!" she finally screams. "I'd think you'd show a bit more appreciation!" She storms upstairs.

"Things not going well?" Eric's standing in the doorway.

"No…" I tell him about Sandy, Rose, and Larraine and about that asinine judge, then about Lucy's immaturity that's nearly demolished my case.

"Oh…that's tough," Eric runs his hand through his thinning hair. "Maybe Lucy should stay mostly out of this…I'll talk to her…get her to see how it would be better for all of us…we don't need the added stress this week with Thanksgiving and all…not that I'm expecting much of one this year…"

"What do you mean?" I ask, as I start making myself some coffee. "Don't we always have turkey and all…Annie's great at holiday meals…"

"After all that happened with Matt…" Eric sighs. "And all that's going on with Simon and Ruthie…she's too upset to really cook this year…maybe I'll order takeout if anything's open tomorrow…"

If I knew how to make a turkey, I'd offer to make it this year, but unfortunately, I'm not much of a cook…neither is Eric. If Annie doesn't pull herself together by tomorrow, our Thanksgiving this year is down the tubes.

Hope that's a good cliffy there! Thanksgiving coming right up!


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N_: Thanks for all your great reviews once again! I'm so happy so many of you have stayed with this story and my one on Simon earlier! This one is T-day with a bit of controversy and lots more drama…enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**15**

Eric orders takeout burgers for tonight's dinner. Annie doesn't come to the table, but Ruthie does. She gives both Lucy and me dirty looks throughout dinner.

Finally, Ruthie sighs and asks Eric, "Is Mom cooking tomorrow?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to all of you about," Eric says. He strokes his chin. "I'm not sure we'll have the usual…I'm thinking of having a takeout pizza…I'll try to add something special to it…but with Annie in the state she's in, it's doubtful she'll be able to do much…" he strokes his chin.

"…and Mrs. Kinkirk called and insists in bringing some side dishes, but I haven't told her about Annie…I really am not sure it's a good idea for Mrs. Kinkirk to see Annie in this state…and Annie's already upset about her inserting herself into our lives again…"

"But we have to have turkey!" Lucy exclaims. "How can we just skip the turkey dinner? After the Pilgrims worked so hard to settle America…"

"I thought the Native 'Mericans were settled in America…" Savannah says.

Lucy ignores her and goes on. "We can't just ignore that history…I'll cook the turkey…Mom has it in the fridge…she ordered it before Halloween…"

Eric perks up a bit. "And the sweet potatoes and everything else?"

"Sure…I can make the yams while the turkey cooks," Lucy insists. "Maybe it'll be just the thing Mom needs to cheer her up," Lucy says.

Even Eric looks a bit relieved. "I'll put together the stuffing."

Even Savannah and the twins have perked up at Thanksgiving being on again.

"Lucy, you are a great daughter," Eric leans over and kisses Lucy on the cheek. Lucy's beaming. "You've been the one to keep this family going…I don't know what we'd do without you…you've made up for the disappointments from the others in this family…"

Lucy's glowing. Sam discreetly makes a face and kissing faces. David pantomimes a gag while Ruthie lifts her lip in disgust.

"And the rest of you kids…" Eric looks hard at the twins and Ruthie. "…can learn from your sister's fine example. We've been through a tough time, but we still need to get on with life."

I sure am learning from Lucy…Eric is a good father, the kind who knows how to give his kids the attention they need…the kind of dad I wish I had. I want Eric to admire me as much as he does Lucy since in a way, Eric will be my dad when Lucy and I marry.

"I can make the sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie," I volunteer. "And make a squash soufflé."

Lucy looks a bit surprised at first as she glances at me, but then she smiles gratefully. She seems to be getting over her pout from the afternoon. I'm rather relieved because I really don't want Lucy and me still fighting over Thanksgiving Day. When Mrs. Kinkirk, Mary, and Simon come over tomorrow, we will need to appear united.

I just hope Ruthie, the twins, and Simon get the message and don't cause any trouble tomorrow in front of Mrs. Kinkirk.

"Mrs. Kinkirk then will see that we're just a normal, happy family tomorrow and won't have any excuse to criticize us," I add.

"That should be wonderful, Martin," Eric smiles at me. "You really are the son I should have had…I'm looking forward to having you as a son-in-law…it's a shame Matt never took a page from your book…and Simon…" Eric sighs and shakes his head.

"I don't understand what the problem Simon has with Martin is," Lucy says.

"Martin was mean to Uncle Simon," Savannah puts in.

"No, he wasn't," Lucy says.

"But he says bad things about Uncle Simon…"

"Since when?" I ask, trying not to get too annoyed.

"You laughed when Sam and David called Uncle Simon a fruit and when they say he's ugly…"

"They're just kidding," I say.

"Yeah…" Sam says. "I don't mean anything serious by it…and Simon's coming tomorrow, so he still loves us…he just has a lot on his mind…"

"I really don't laugh to be mean," I explain. "I just…like to joke around…and who knows, maybe this Thanksgiving will make Simon feel better and he won't be so unhappy any more."

Savannah seems to think as she stares at me, then at her mother. "I hope so…he cried so much at Uncle Matt's funeral…he felt real bad…I hope he feels better…"

"We all hope so, honey," Eric reaches out and strokes Savannah's fine hair.

Somehow, although I know not to say this out loud, I don't think Simon is really ever going to get over his issues he has…he is just too screwed up. The most I can hope for is that he doesn't screw up tomorrow for the rest of us.

* * *

Thanksgiving morning. Lucy and I are up by seven that day, starting with the turkey. I'm peeling the sweet potatoes and mashing them into the pot.

Eric comes in right before eight. He cuts up bread pieces for the stuffing before putting the raisins in. Lucy holds out the bird while Eric pours the stuffing in. I can see why it's called stuffing. The turkey looks skinny at first, but seems to puff up when it's filled with the stuffing.

"A couple of hours slow cooking," Lucy says as she slides the turkey into the oven. "Then we turn and baste it, and then another couple of hours…it should be ready by three."

Eric kisses Lucy's cheek.

"You're gooood…" Eric murmurs, then goes back upstairs.

I start the sweet potatoes cooking and Lucy helps me cover them. I then start making the soufflé. Lucy starts getting out the ingredients for the other dishes.

Annie comes in. Her eyes are a tad red. "Hello, Annie," I say. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Oh, hi," Annie peers at us, then blinks as if she remembers what day it is. "I almost forgot it was Thanksgiving. Thanks, Lucy…Martin…"

"It sure is, Mom," Lucy smiles at her. "So, hey…since it's Thanksgiving and Mrs. Kinkirk is coming early this afternoon to see the kids, why don't you put on some makeup…show her it's a festive day and we're a big, happy family this holiday, huh?"

Annie winces. "I can try…but I just know that woman is going to find fault with us…I don't know why she insists on butting in when her son is not part of this family any more…"

"I guess because the kids are related to her, she still feels part of our family," Lucy shrugs. "And if we try to keep her away, she can raise Cain about her 'grandparents' right' to see the kids, so let's not give her any excuse to get on our case, okay?"

"Are Simon and Mary coming?" Annie asks, pouring herself some coffee.

"I don't really care about Mary one way or another, but I'll call Simon to make sure," Lucy makes a face. "And I'll tell him to leave the long faces and big sulkiness at home, so he doesn't spoil our Thanksgiving."

"This business with Simon is getting old," Annie gripes, sitting at the counter. "I don't understand why he has to be so unforgiving, especially with me…he should be thankful that he grew up in a loving, intact, stable home and not in some broken family…I was the one who made sure to that…was that so bad?"

"It was a good thing," I say. "But Simon's mind is too messed up to see it…that's his problem, Annie, not yours…you did what you could…"

"Thanks…" Annie smiles weakly at me.

* * *

Sam almost barrels me over when he re-enters the house from the backyard. I have to step aside to avoid being plowed over.

_Shhtttthhh_…I sigh.

Sam turns and sticks his tongue out at me and makes a _pthhhhhhh_ noise spitting droplets in the air.

Real mature, I think, turning my back and heading back toward the kitchen. Those twins are supposed to be ten, yet they act like they're three.

I see Lucy out back talking on her cell. It's rather pleasant out, sunny and sixty degrees, so I decide to join her out on the back patio.

"…just coming at four for dinner?" Lucy heaves a gusty sigh, her eyes wide in indignation.

She listens for a long minute, then snaps, "Okay, Simon, fine…just whatever…" She clicks her cell shut.

I roll my eyes as she sees me. She mirrors my eyes rolling.

"Simon…" we both grumble simultaneously, then laugh a little.

"That boy acts like we're these devil's creatures from the black lagoon or something," Lucy complains. "He says he's not coming until right before dinner…supposedly he has 'things to do' back at his apartment…and he has his stupid drama with Mom…when are he and Mom going to grow up? C'mon, let's go inside and get ready for the nut factory to descend…"

We go in. Lucy checks the turkey and bastes it. Annie's in the dining room, listlessly dusting the cabinet windows.

"I just hope Mrs. Kinkirk doesn't stay long…I hope she just eats, sees the kids are okay, then leaves right after dinner…she'd better not invite herself to camp out here overnight," she tells me.

"You could tell her we don't have any spare rooms…" I suggest. "I'm sure she won't want to sleep on the couch right in the living room."

"You could just tell her how Savannah knows how to read already and how smart and well-behaved all the kids are," Lucy chimes as she enters the dining room. "That'll keep her off my back…and Mom…"

"Hmmm…" Annie turns.

"I've taken care of Simon…I told him to leave the long faces at home…and not to start anything with you, Martin…he knows Mrs. Kinkirk is coming, so I don't think he'll start trouble in front of her…I'm sure even Simon has that sense not to look bad in front of Kevin's mother…he's not coming until around three, though…he has more important things to do on even a holiday than to spend today with his own family…"

"What about Ruthie?" I ask. "How are we going to keep her…?"

"I think I'm just going to tell her to stay upstairs…" Annie tosses down her cloth and sighs gustily. "She's really been obnoxious and I don't want her around me…"

"I spoke to her," Eric enters. "I think it would be best of the entire family showed some holiday spirit, particularly in light of our family tragedy…we want Mrs. Kinkirk to see that all of us are pulling together in these times of trial…not withdrawing into ourselves and our rooms…I've told Ruthie that she'd better not act up in front of Mrs. Kinkirk or there would be consequences for her…I'm sure she doesn't want Mrs. Kinkirk knowing about the circumstances of her pregnancy."

"It's about time…" Lucy mutters.

I nod. Ruthie's gotten away with murder for far too long.

* * *

Mrs. Kinkirk arrives at almost noon. Eric lets her in.

"Hellooo, everyone!" she calls.

"Hiiii, Grandma!" Savannah races over and gives her a hug. Rick toddles over from the living room to her also. Kaylee follows.

Mrs. Kinkirk stoops down and embraces all three of the kids as if they are actually hers, even Kaylee. I discreetly watch this spectacle from the edge of the kitchen where I am heating the soufflé.

Lucy is taking out the turkey, which smells scrumptious and looks wonderful. She scowls in the direction of the living room where Eric is hanging up Mrs. Kinkirk's brown coat in the closet. Mrs. Kinkirk has a bulging plastic bag with her also, which she insists on hanging onto.

"She's even hugging Kaylee," I whisper, coming back to get out the china platter for the turkey.

"What?" Lucy hisses.

"Yeah…" I nod. "She's acting like those kids are hers."

"Kaylee's not even her granddaughter!" Lucy struggles to keep her voice low so Mrs. Kinkirk won't hear her. "She barely knows us, so she really shouldn't be ingratiating herself this way with our family…not to mention a kid that's not even her granddaughter…Kaylee's barely even part of our family…she's Ruthie's little brat, not mine or Annie's or yours."

"What a nervy…" I mutter. "I think it's horrid that she's using this holiday and our recent family tragedy to butt in where she's really not wanted…and using our kids as fodder to play the doting grandma…it's been like, what two years since she's even seen Savannah…and she's never even met Kaylee, yet she's acting like even Ruthie's little spawn is her baby…"

"Hello, young man….you're Martin Brewer, I presume?" Karen's voice startles me.

I jump and Lucy lets out an outraged little squawk. We turn slowly.

Lucy starts to glare at her, but quickly pastes a fake smile on her face in an attempt at faking being glad to see her. I feel my face turn red as I wonder just how long this nosy woman eavesdropped on our private conversation.

"Yes…I'm Martin," I manage. I put out my hand and she shakes it. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kinkirk." I also fake a smile.

"Happy Thanksgiving to both of you…" Mrs. Kinkirk is holding her bulging bag.

She raises it onto the counter and pulls out a pie and a plastic dish of something chocolate.

"My contribution…fudge and lemon meringue pie…" she adds as if she's proud of herself.

Lucy's blue eyes widen and flash in anger, but she keeps her mouth in a false smile and says, "Really, Mrs. Kinkirk…we have our own desserts…you didn't have to do this…"

Lucy gives a forced _ahaahAAA_ as if she's attempting to force a laugh. It's plain to see that Lucy's furious already. Mrs. Kinkirk's only been here ten minutes.

Mrs. Kinkirk ignores Lucy's fury and plops the desserts down, telling us, "We can never have too many desserts on a holiday…I think I will go upstairs and say hello to Mrs. Camden…it's a pleasure seeing my grandchildren again."

As she starts out and upstairs, I see Savannah has sidled up beside her and is now following her up. Lucy glares after them, then starts after them, calling, "Savannah…"

Following, I put my hand on her shoulder, stopping her from chasing them. "Luce…"

"What?" Lucy hisses, glaring back at me.

"Now's not a good time," I advise. "If you start screaming at your daughter with Mrs. Kinkirk around, she'll get the wrong impression of you…it'll be just the thing she'll use against you."

"So just let her walk all over us because then she won't think I'm a bad mother?" Lucy snorts.

"She'll be gone in a day or so…it's not as if she'd move in here…and Eric'll keep her at bay…come on…let's not let her ruin our holiday…c'mon."

"Sure," Lucy reluctantly agrees, although I know she wants to run upstairs after Mrs. Kinkirk and Savannah, grab Savannah and scream at Mrs. Kinkirk to get off her daughter.

By the time we re-enter the kitchen, Lucy's face is bright red. She grabs the egg-beaters from the kitchen table and hurls them toward the sink. They miss by a long shot. The beaters bounce over the counter, one knocking against the fruit bowl with a noisy clang.

The other one bounces upward and hits the kitchen window, breaking it almost in half. Miraculously, the pane doesn't shatter. But a long, deep crack runs almost all the way down the middle of it.

I stifle a laugh at the sight. Hurricane Lucy, I think. Going over, I pull the curtains over the cracked window and put my arms around Lucy, who doesn't seem fazed by the cracked window.

She's stiff a minute, then leans into me. We stand for a long minute, just holding each other.

* * *

"What's it that Simon said he 'had to do' at his place?" Sam asks a couple of hours later in the living room where he, David, Lucy, and I are watching a football game on television.

"I duuuno…" Lucy rolls her eyes. "But listen, you two, don't start up on Simon when he gets here, okay? He's already going to be moody enough as it is and neither one of you need to make his mood worse."

"What worse mood?" Sam quips. "That ugly dog's always brooding and moody."

I snort a laugh. David laughs also. Lucy herself seems to stifle a giggle.

"Yeah, he sure broods a lot," Lucy says. "He has lots of problems."

"Did you all ever find out what his real dad is?" David asks. "Is Simon's real dad a German Sheppard or a Chihuahua?"

"With that nose of his?" I can't help chiming in. "Pug nose…he's part pug dog."

This makes Lucy giggle out loud. "Martin…" The twins are giggling also.

"No wonder…" Sam chortles. "He'll probably die young of distemper and rabies."

"You should have heard Simon earlier," Lucy tells me. "The first thing he asks is if you're gonna be here…"

I laugh. "Why…he's afraid of muuuuoiii?"

"Probably…he's such a coward…he changes the topic to ask if I need him to get anything from the store…as if we don't know how to feed ourselves for Thanksgiving…and he starts talking about Matt…" she mimics Simon's annoyingly soppy voice. "_How's everyone coping with Matt being goone?_ I just hope he's not going to be bringing Matt up during dinner…the kids really don't need Thanksgiving ruined by Simon being unable to move on…"

"He had the nerve to ask if everyone's still mourning Matt's death?" I ask. "What's he expecting…that we're going to be moping around the house with black candles wearing silly black cloths over our heads, weeping and wailing over Matt? I know his death was a horrible tragedy, but the rest of us are moving on…all except Simon and Annie."

"That's Simon and Annie in a nutshell," Lucy shrugs. "They just can't get on with life…they hold these grudges, play their immature little dramas and cry and carry on over how awful their lives are. Neither one of them know when to quit."

"Simon'll probably cry at dinner," Sam adds. "Mom too."

"Simon's even uglier when he cries," David says. "His face just gets all crumpled and his abnormal eyebrows bend all upward above his dog nose."

"I tried to tell Simon to keep his moping and weeping out of this house today and asked him to come as soon as possible…" Lucy continues. "That's when he gave me his stupid line _I have things to do here_…_I'll try to be over sometime before dinner_…_maybe about three_. I think he's trying to avoid all of us."

"What oh-so important things could he have to do on Thanksgiving that's more important than his own family?" I say.

"Maybe he's moonlighting selling labortions to pregnant girls," David suggests. "Maybe that's why he's being so secretive about his job hunt and won't let Dad help…he doesn't want us to know…"

"David!" Lucy's shocked. "Don't let me hear that word in this house again."

"Is it a bad word?" Sam laughs. "Like the F-word and all?"

"Yes," Lucy tells him emphatically.

"Why?" Sam keeps it up. "What is it anyway? Is it dirty?"

"Yes, it's dirty, evil, and very sinful," Lucy says. "Something we don't talk about and you don't need to ever know about."

I really am not in the mood for seeing Simon's horrible face over Thanksgiving dinner. I hope it doesn't ruin my appetite.

"You know what, why don't you call and we dis-invite the bastard," I suggest. "He already thinks we're poison and has all these allegedly 'important' things to do at his ghetto closet up there…just dis-invite the pill."

"I wish it were that easy," Lucy sighs, leaning back. "But Annie and Eric are counting on him coming…if I tell Simon not to come, Mom'll get all upset with me and the last thing I need to deal with is Mom all over me…so let's just get through today and survive dealing with Kevin's mother, Mary, and Simon…just for today."

"Oookay…" I sigh also.

I watch the Rams quarterback snap the ball. The twins whoop and cheer the Rams onto another touchdown.

"I just hope Mom doesn't spend dinner begging Simon for forgiveness again," Lucy adds. "It's getting old…_Zzzimon, bleeeeaze taaalk to meeee_…_bleeze gaaallllll meee baaaaaag_…_don't zhhhhuuuuut meeee ouuuuut liggg thizzzzz_…_zzzdop doing thizzzz_…" she does a good imitation of Annie's _uhhhh-uuuh_-ing and we both laugh.

"She spent over twenty years lying to all of you and her husband," I say. "What can she expect?"

"Yeah," Lucy says. "But she just doesn't get it."

* * *

Mary arrives around two that afternoon. We've left the front door ajar, so the others could come without having to knock. By then the first ball game is done; the Rams have lost to the Giants ten to thirty much to our disgust.

"Hey, you all…" Mary pokes her head in.

"Hey, Mare," I say.

"Hey…" Mary glances at me, then sneers at Lucy. "And hello to you too, sis."

Lucy just nods coldly at her.

"Hey…" Sam glances up. "The Rams lost again, no thanks to their stupid linebacker who kept tripping over the ball."

"Mom around?" Mary asks. As if Annie heard her, Annie comes sweeping in.

", how are you?" Annie and Mary hug. Annie sniffles, crying a little once again.

"Hi, Mom," Mary smiles at her. She's an inch or so taller than Annie. "How've you been? Sorry I couldn't make the funeral…work commitments…things came up…"

"Ohhh, it sure hasn't been the same since Matt…" Annie starts to cry again as she and Mary head upstairs.

Lucy makes mock-gagging motions and the twins giggle. "Things came up…" she hisses. "What a load of crock...that's almost as dumb as Simon's _I have things to do _lameness."

We plan to eat at four. The turkey's now ready and smells delicious. All the side dishes are ready also. Eric tries to call Ruthie down to help, but she doesn't budge from her room. She's another one who is avoiding her own family.

The turkey is so big that both Eric and I carry it into the dining room. Annie seems to be perking up finally. It's likely because Mrs. Kinkirk is around. Annie doesn't want to appear a basket case in front of her.

"Why don't we all watch the next game and eat dinner in front of it?" David asks. "There's another football game starting…"

"No, we should eat together here as a family," Mrs. Kinkirk tells him.

"What time did you tell Simon to come, Luce?" Annie frets. "Shouldn't he have been here a couple of hours ago?"

"I told him to come then, but he made some dumb excuse that he had 'things to do' and won't be here until around three or so…as close to dinner as possible," Lucy sighs as she goes back into the kitchen.

It's already three-thirty. I wouldn't put it past Simon to either pull a no-show or to not come until we're halfway through dinner.

Eric heaves a sigh himself. "I just hope he's not complaining to anyone up there about us." He heads to his study. "Hey, one of you call me when four o clock comes."

"I will," I say.

Mrs. Kinkirk has these cloth napkins with colored leaf designs all over them and puts them on the table in little artistic folds sort of shaped like turkeys, then heads back into the kitchen after Lucy and Annie. The twins are in the living room glued to the second football game.

I lay the silverware out in proper order and put the serving utensils in the serving platters. The clock edges onto four and I begin to think that maybe Simon won't come. I hope Annie and Eric aren't going to insist that we wait for Simon to grace us with his presence.

I've worked up a good appetite and really don't want Simon's ugly face to spoil that appetite. I also wonder if Ruthie's going to keep hiding in her room. We should eat without her also; having her around is almost as bad as having Simon here.

"Noooo, not those!" Annie suddenly shrieks from the kitchen. "Those are for after the turkey!" I don't know who she's screaming at and I really don't care.

From the living room, Sam is laughing. I hear one of the other kids running down the stairs. A second later, I know it's Savannah. She's racing into to living room.

"Mommy, Grandma…Uncle Simon's here!" she announces to the whole house as if Simon's some kind of Messiah.

"Ohh, gross…" I mutter under my breath as I put down the last fork.

"Hello, Savannah…you're getting to be a big girl," I hear Simon purring as if he thinks he's her dad or something.

"Hello, Simon…" Lucy calls from the kitchen.

"Siiiimon…" Annie wails.

Apparently, she's running out to greet him. I just hope she's not going to start crying all over again and begging Simon's forgiveness.

Other voices chime in, including Eric's and the twins and several people are talking at once. Simon has the nerve to mention Matt…and even Sarah to Savannah.

Luckily, Annie doesn't go into hysterics again. She seems to be trying to pull herself together.

I do wish Simon would shut up about Matt around us, though. He doesn't know when it's time to let go and move on.

Eric tries to call Ruthie, but she ignores him. Ruthie's most likely still mad at Simon also for ratting her out.

I decide I should at least appear civil, so Mrs. Kinkirk doesn't think I'm some rude brat like Ruthie and hiding out. So I brace myself and enter the living room to see Simon.

He looks even skinnier than ever. He appears to have even lost some more weight. There are dark circles under his eyes. Ugh. Couldn't he have found some way to camouflage those circles? I wonder.

"Simon…you're here," is the most I can manage at the sight of him.

Simon's eyes narrow coldly with particularly the lower eyelids constricting at the sight of me, but he says frostily, "Yes, I am…hello, Martin."

* * *

Eric does manage to drag Ruthie to the table for dinner. The food's delicious. But Mrs. Kinkirk and Lucy spend most of it arguing because Mrs. Kinkirk thinks Savannah should be consigned to the public school system.

And naturally, Simon chimes in on Mrs. Kinkirk's side. Annie tries to get Mrs. Kinkirk to see how well Savannah's doing under Lucy and Eric's individualized instruction, but Sam acts up in the middle of everything. Eric and Annie have to send him up to his room.

Savannah and Rick start to cry, much to Lucy and my chagrin. I can see Mrs. Kinkirk practically smirking as she puts in another fifty cents of her opinion of her "proof" that Savannah should be separated from her own family and placed under the "care" of impersonal so-called professional educators.

I try to help, but Simon jumps all over me with his own little speech. "Yeah, Martin, why go and be exposed to the great big world out there?"

By then, our dinner is just about done and Simon picks up a few dishes and follows Eric and Mrs. Kinkirk into the kitchen. But he's not done; he comes back, not missing a beat in his little attack on our family.

"Why learn to think and why meet a variety of people? No, stay in the narrow world of your house, so we can marry and have kids too young, marry somebody they don't love and cheat on them…"

I want to split his big lip so badly at this point. But I refrain since I don't want to get into a brawl in front of the Camdens. I settle for just snapping, "Simon, that's enough…"

Simon just glares at me insolently, his thick brows lowering as his silver eyes glitter icily. I glare back.

"Gentlemen…" Eric says, approaching us. I wonder if he thinks we're about the jump into a fistfight right here at the dinner table on Thanksgiving. "The two of you need to stop this silliness…"

What? I think. Does Eric think that I'm to blame also for Simon's being a jerk?

"Simon needs to grow up…" I start to explain. Simon abruptly turns, grabs a couple of more platters and flees to the kitchen as if I'm this horrible cockroach that ruined his dinner.

"See how he just stirs up trouble, then pulls his vanishing act," I point out to Eric and maybe for Mrs. Kinkirk's benefit. "He does this and doesn't want to face the consequences…attack us, then run…"

Eric sighs and holds up his hand. I start to continue, but then decide it's not worth getting the kids going again by displaying how mad I am at Simon, especially since Savannah and Kaylee seems to worship the ground Simon walks on.

And also, Simon returns. I don't want to be dragged into a another argument with him. He's not worth it.

"Mom…Dad…everyone…" Simon's thick brows are knotted into a tense frown, forming two vertical lines between them as he rubs his forehead. "Thanks for the great dinner…I'm heading back home, so…"

Wow, he's telling his mother and Eric how "thankful" he is after the trouble he's caused. Not to mention that he hardly ate a thing; he just mostly picked at his food and hardly spoke to anyone but Savannah, Kaylee, and Rick. So that's rich coming from Simon. Lucy and I glance at each other.

Annie begs him to stay the night. I groan as she pulls up all the drama between the two of them that's gone on for too long.

Simon does stay for dessert, but doesn't stay the night, thankfully. I fight the urge to gag when Simon leans over and kisses Kaylee and Rick when Annie gets ready to take them upstairs.

"Doesn't it bother you that Simon acts like those kids are his?" I whisper to Lucy.

"Yeah…yet he wants to undermine this family," Lucy whispers back.

We sneak in a discreet kiss. I catch Ruthie's eyes across the table. She is scowling. Suddenly she gets up so fast that she knocks her chair over backwards and storms upstairs right past Annie, who is coming back down. Annie stares after her. I stifle a laugh at the whole scene.

Once Annie sits down, I realize that Simon is talking to Mrs. Kinkirk. Not only are they talking as if they're old friends, but Simon is blabbing to her about his college days and his alleged film directing career…the one he really hasn't gotten started on yet. As far as I know, he's still doing his crummy temp jobs.

In fact, Simon claims he's found a real job in the film industry. Eric and Annie hear this and perk up.

"So, Simon…when does this job start…or has it started…?" Eric asks. "And where will it be?"

"I'm not sure yet," Simon sort of shrugs. He barely glances at Eric or Annie. "But New York is one possibility."

"New York?" Annie exclaims. "You're moving east?"

"Possibly…" Simon says as if he's discussing the weather.

The glances Eric and Annie share tell me that they are not happy with this latest bombshell of Simon's. I knew it would have been better if Simon had simply pulled a no-show this Thanksgiving.

"So when were you going to tell us about this possibility?" Eric is shocked.

Probably by voice message or e-mail three months after he moved, I think bitterly to myself. Even though it would be my pleasure never to lay eyes on his ugly face again, I know this would make Annie and Eric unhappy, just one more way for Simon to create drama, then vanish, leaving the rest of us to pick up the pieces.

"Tonight…now." It's obvious that Simon just thought to say this at this minute. He'll never admit the truth.

"You know, Dad could have found you something here so you wouldn't have to make this big move across the country…" Lucy tells him, but Simon just brushes her off coolly.

"I know…and as I discussed with Mom…" Simon pauses and I suspect he's already using the fact that Eric is not his birth dad as an excuse to push him away…after all Eric has tried to do for him. "…and Dad…I want to do this on my own…I need to…"

He _needs_ to? I wonder incredulously. He _needs_ to? Lucy and I glance at each other and shake our heads.

"He's right, you know," Mrs. Kinkirk can't resist putting her two cents in.

Incredibly, she has taken Simon's side in this. I should have figured.

Annie glares at her, but Mrs. Kinkirk goes right on talking, not caring that she's offending Annie…as well as me and making Lucy furious…and lecturing the rest of us about how Simon needs to "build" his career on his own. She keeps it up on how her own three kids started their oh-so-great careers on their own bootstraps totally on their own without any help from anyone.

* * *

"I ABSOLUTELY canNOT belieeeve Karen Kinkirk!" Lucy later complains once she and I are alone upstairs after she puts Savannah to bed.

Mrs. Kinkirk and Simon have thankfully left. Simon once again fed Annie and Eric his stupid line of having "things to do" back in his ghetto as his excuse for fleeing his own family.

"Neither can I," I scowl. "And Simon…what is up with him all of a sudden acting like he and Mrs. Kinkirk are great pals?"

"And acting like our kids are his?" Lucy huffs. "He shuns the rest of us, yet butters up my kids…I don't get him. Did you hear how he went on about how I was a bad mother because I care enough to give my daughter the best education at home? What is wrong with him? I guess he conveniently forgot how miserable he was in high school! I remember how moody he always was…not to mention his little accident after his junior year…"

"The one where he hit and killed that kid?" I ask.

"That's the one," Lucy rolls her eyes. "He cried and carried on for months about that…that sure wouldn't have happened if Mom and Dad had the foresight to home school us older kids…and they just let him carry on…we went to the beach that summer…Simon ruined that vacation for all of us with his crying and carrying on over that accident…" Lucy hangs up Savannah's clothes.

"I'll never forget one instance when the twins wanted to go out for burgers," she continues. "Luckily, I was right there…Simon offered to drive them and I thought maybe he was finally getting himself together…but when Dad held out the keys, Simon fell apart all over again…started shaking then crying again, this time in front of the boys…he just wailed…absolutely started wailing…"

He completely lost it in front of almost everyone and sobbed this _I ninnent zee thaaaad giiiiid undiiiil 'e waaas riii in vvvront of the carrr_…I had to take over and drive the boys myself since Simon was even too scared to drive at all…In the car with me, Sam actually asked me if Simon had one of those weird seizure disorders…I had to explain that Simon was 'just upset over a little accident.' I think Mom and Dad even paid for him to go to some shrink so he could shake, cry, and wail about his accident there."

"Simon went to a shrink?" I laugh. It must have been a hilarious sight to see Simon's little beach breakdown. Knowing Simon, he probably sounded like a sick animal.

"That's right…" Lucy moves to the window and starts to close the curtain. "The twins were beginning to think Simon was crazy as it was…I think Mom and Dad should have just put him in a nut barn and…" she seems to catch sight of something outside and pauses mid-sentence, widening her eyes slightly.

"What's…?" I move over to the window.

"Stay low, but look if you can from there…" Lucy says. "Simon and Mrs. Kinkirk are out by his car talking…"

"About what?" I demand.

"I don't know…I wish I could hear…"

I try to sneak a peek, but don't see much…just Simon and Mrs. Kinkirk's cars reflected by a streetlight…then a bit of movement.

"Simon just looked at the house…the porch." Lucy tells me. "Mrs. Kinkirk's leaning on Simon's car…I can't see Simon's face, so I can't tell if he's doing most of the talking…I wish the moon was full and out tonight…too bad I don't know how to read lips."

Lucy stands, watching them for a long minute while I stoop under her. Then she suddenly steps back.

"Simon just turned…I hope he didn't see us watching him…I wonder why they're talking…I hope they're not in cahoots against us about Thanksgiving…and I hope Simon isn't spilling out the details about Mom's affair and Ruthie's illegitimate pregnancy."

"Knowing Simon, he probably is," I growl. "That boy has no scruples…no sense of pride…and knowing how he feels about me especially, he's probably right now telling Karen what an 'awful' dad I am and that I 'abandoned' Sandy."

"I'll go up there personally and wring that scrawny little neck of his if he tells Kevin's mother lies about you," Lucy snarls.

We sit still and wait. We debate on sneaking downstairs and attempting to lean on the front door to hear what Simon and Mrs. Kinkirk are discussing and possibly plotting out there.

But that decision quickly becomes a moot point because we hear both of the car engines starting. It seems as if both of them are leaving at the same time.

I wait until their cars' engines fade a bit, then glance out in time to see their tail lights retreating into the darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N_: hope all of you enjoyed the Thanksgiving chapter and the little cliffy at the end of that chapter! More holiday drama coming up. The usual disclaimers that none of the characters or places that _7__th__ Heaven _fans recognize are mine…enjoy as I continue…

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**16**

Friday morning, I help Lucy pack up her kids for their weekend with their father. Lucy is racing around the house attempting to find Savannah's pink princess backpack while I pack little socks and shirts in a little overnight bag for Rick.

Mrs. Kinkirk is also planning on visiting Kevin, so she will take the kids down to LA. She called this morning and basically told us to have the kids ready since she's just going to stop by briefly to collect the kids.

It's a two-hour drive down to LA and the kids are staying with Kevin until Sunday afternoon. So Lucy and I will finally get time to ourselves this weekend.

As I zip up Rick's bag, I fume a bit over Mrs. Kinkirk's little impromptu night conference with Simon and hope that she will not be badmouthing us to the kids or to Kevin.

"Mom…Mom…" Lucy calls. "Have you seen Savannah's pink backpack?"

"No…" Annie calls from somewhere downstairs.

Lucy's scatter mindedness makes me laugh and rue that her father is at his office this morning counseling some couple. He won't be able to find it for her either. I finish packing Rick's things and zip his little bag up, then place it in the hall.

Seeing a pile of shirts and a can in the hall, I idly wonder who forgot to put their clothes in the hamper. But I start a bit when I recognize my own Army shirt in the mess.

"Whaaat de…" I mutter, stepping closer to the pile.

It _IS_ my own stuff there on the floor. What's it doing there? I wonder as I scoop up the shirts, Army canteens and other camping equipment. I usually keep them in my camping bag that I've kept in the closet of the bedroom I'm sleeping in here.

A quick check in the closet tells me that my bag isn't there. Looking around, I hope that somebody hasn't been sneaking in my room.

For a split second, I suspect Simon had gotten in here. I wouldn't put it past him to snoop through my private things for dirt on me. He'd probably tell Mrs. Kinkirk about it to make me look bad.

Just as I start to work up a good fury at the punk for rooting through my stuff, I realize that Simon never went up here at all. He'd only come for dinner, then left, never going upstairs. Much as I hate to admit it to myself, I know that Simon doesn't have a thing to do with my missing bag.

Footsteps thunk loudly up the stairs. "…_NOT_ the bag to use!" Lucy's yelling at Sam, shoving him up the stairs. Sam's rolling his eyes and at one point, sticks his tongue out at her, then when he sees me, he points his tongue at me.

That's when I see he's clutching _MY_ bag.

"Hey, Sam, give that back!" I demand.

"Sure…" Sam throws the bag in my direction. I barely catch it.

"And don't _EVER_ let me catch you touching my stuff again, Sam!" I shout after him.

"Martin, I'm sorry about him," Lucy apologizes.

I nod. Now I know it was Sam who'd dumped my stuff all over the floor. Lucy comes and helps me put it all back into my bag.

"I still can't find Savannah's backpack," Lucy frets. "And Mom's no help."

"Here…use this bag," I suggest, taking a brown knapsack out of the closet and handing it to her. "It's not in her taste, I guess, but it's strong and can hold her stuff for this weekend…"

A car engine rolls into our driveway.

"Oh, no, she can't be here already!" Lucy complains. "She said she wasn't coming until ten!"

I look at the wall clock and stifle a laugh. "Luce, it _IS_ ten."

Lucy gives a little shriek. "It is! Help me pack this thing!" Lucy tears off toward the kids' bedrooms with the bag.

"Mommy, Grandma Kinkirk's here!" Savannah calls.

I enter the kids' room where Lucy is running around like a headless chicken, throwing things into the bag. Outside, Mrs. Kinkirk is idling her car in the driveway.

Thankfully, Simon doesn't seem to be with her. I guess he's back in his little ghetto closet, plotting away, probably thinking up more dirt to hand over to Mrs. Kinkirk to use against us.

Half of the stuff Lucy's throwing is landing all over the floor and the bed instead of into the bag, so I touch Lucy's shoulder. "Hey, Luce…allow me…"

"Yeah…fine…" she sighs.

I do a better job than her, actually putting Savannah's things into the bag. Lucy glances out the window constantly.

"Whiiit…" Lucy sputters, going over and glaring out. "The kids know they're not supposed to leave the house without my permission…they just walked out to Mrs. Kinkirk's car!"

I'm done packing Savannah's bag. "C'mon, let's take this thing down…"

Lucy follows me as I carry the bag down the stairs. Outside, Savannah and Rick are chatting it up with Mrs. Kinkirk, who's sitting sideways leaning out her open car door.

I want to ask her, demand to know what she and Simon were discussing last night. Lucy does also, but I just coolly hand the kids' bags over without a word and hold up a hand to Lucy to keep her from going off also.

Much as I'd love to tell Mrs. Kinkirk off and demand to know what kind of secret conspiracy she and Simon are involved in, I know we can't do that…one, because we'd end up looking bad in front of her and the kids and secondly, I have the feeling that Mrs. Kinkirk will dodge our questions.

"Thank you, Mr. Brewer," Mrs. Kinkirk tells me. She turns to the kids. "Ready to go?"

"Yeeeaaaah!" Savannah and Rick chorus and hop into the back.

Mrs. Kinkirk herself leans over to the back and fastens their car seats, which makes Lucy furious. Lucy wants to be the one to buckle her kids in.

"Bye, you two," Mrs. Kinkirk calls. "On the way back up to the airport Sunday, I'll drop the kids off at around three…see you then."

She's gone in two seconds, backing out of our driveway and down the street as if she can't wait to get away from us. What bothers me is that she seems to assume that Savannah and Rick must be so miserable with us that they "must" want to get away from us. Maybe Simon's poisoning Mrs. Kinkirk's mind with tales of how "badly" we treat the kids.

We stand for a minute after the car back retreats into the distance. Lucy lets out a huge _Ooooouuumph_ and turns on her heel to go into the house.

"Hey, Luce…tonight I have just the thing to make this weekend better for us," I say.

"Wow, what is it?" Lucy brightens.

"You'll find out at dinner," I smile mysteriously. "It's a nice surprise, something I know you'll like."

That makes both of us feel better as we go inside. I'm glad I thought to take my mother's old wedding ring with me. It's a beautiful ring that looks like a real sapphire. Lucy's never seen it and the ring itself is in perfect shape, so I know she'll think it's new.

* * *

"…just change your own daughter, Ruthie, then bring her and come down for dinner…it's a special occasion," Annie orders Ruthie late that afternoon.

Ruthie makes a snorting noise. Shaking my head at Ruthie's attitude, I comb my hair, grab the ring, pocket it and go down to dinner myself.

I'm really glad Annie is truly pulling herself together now, so I know she wasn't just doing it for Mrs. Kinkirk's benefit alone. Another reason I'm glad is that Annie has once again cooked a fabulous meal. I can smell it from all the way upstairs.

The meal is lots of leftover turkey, of course, but Annie has found lots of ways to make at least five different dishes from that. She's also made a cranberry cake and sweet potato soufflé.

Eric and Lucy are almost late to dinner since they were both in Eric's study working on Sunday's sermon. I'm sure Eric does most of the actual writing of the sermon, but I don't say anything about that.

I wait until dessert is almost done before I make my announcement. I cling my fork on my wine glass. "Everyone…" Lucy, Annie, and Eric turn to me and silence their conversations.

The twins are giggling and wrestling over a piece of pumpkin pie. Annie glares at them, then reaches over with a loud _shhhh_.

"Boys!" she hisses sternly. They glare at her, but finally shut up.

"I have a question to ask…" I turn to Lucy, who is smiling softly at me, her blue eyes glowing. Standing, I move my chair back a little, kneel on one knee. I pull out the ring and ask, "Will you marry me, Lucy Camden Kinkirk?"

Annie gasps and sniffles. Lucy's smile widens.

"Sure!" she exclaims. "Yes…of course I'll marry you."

We both stand and hug.

"Welcome to our family, son," Eric says, his own eyes a tad misty.

Lucy holds out her hand and I put the ring on her third finger slowly. It fits fine, much to my relief. Lucy holds it up to show everyone. Eric goes into his study, retrieves his camera and snaps a picture. He also gets several more photos of Lucy and me.

Annie and Eric both give me huge hugs. I'm happy to officially become part of this wonderful family…mostly if you don't count Simon, Matt, or Ruthie.

Thankfully, Ruthie hasn't made any nasty remarks; she's not even scowling. She's not smiling either. Her face mostly blank as she stares at the twins, who are making kissing noises. Kaylee is kind of looking at me as if she's confused about something, then at Ruthie, then Annie.

"So, do you have a date?" Eric asks.

"Not sure yet…Lucy?" I ask if she has any ideas for a date.

"June," she says.

"That's almost six months away," Annie says.

"I know, " Lucy sighs. "But I've always wanted to be a June bride. And besides, it'll give us plenty of time to plan a spectacular wedding. I know I was married to Kevin before, but I want a white dress, a really fancy white dress with a long veil."

"And we'll have to pick out the bridesmaids and matron of honor," Annie adds.

Lucy makes a face. "I'd rather not have bridesmaids, Mom…maybe a matron of honor…I don't want anyone there with dresses like mine…bridesmaids tend to show off too much…I don't want any show offs at my wedding…the matron of honor will have to wear something completely different…play herself down…it's my day and everyone has to know it…"

Annie nods. "Sure, honey."

"Lucy's white dress would be all right with the church, right, Dad?" I ask Eric. I'm already starting to think of Eric as my dad.

"I imagine so," Eric nods. "Since we know out daughter hasn't had any relations with anyone outside of marriage…only with Kevin while they were married."

Lucy beams at him.

"Let's have it in our church," I say as I sit back down. "And you, Dad, can marry us…we'll decide who to invite…"

"And what the invitations will look like," Lucy adds. "Can we do pink with gold trimming?"

"Sure," I say. "And hey…I thought of the perfect place for our reception…Harbor Hotel…it has a huge ballroom and a balcony right outside…people can dance outside and we'd have room for all the food."

"I've heard of it," Eric says. "But I've never been there."

"I've never been there, but I've heard it's really romantic," Lucy says.

"We'll have time to book it way in advance," I say.

I remember that place vaguely because when I was around eleven, my dad had some kind of Marine event there and there was this fancy party where everyone dressed up and danced. I'd hated it at the time because I'd had to put on this polite face to a bunch of pompous Marines my dad had worked with and wear this stiff, awful white little suit.

But now, this time Lucy and I will be in charge and we'll invite only people we want there, not kiss up to anyone who doesn't support us.

"I know this marriage is going to be much better than your last one, Lucy," Annie says. "Martin's already better husband material than Kevin ever was…Martin has the advantage of a stable family life that Kevin never had…"

Lucy and I grin at Annie. Ruthie is slowly standing, her face still expressionless. Good, maybe she's leaving. Maybe she's gotten over herself and finally has gotten it through her head that she and I are history. I'll help support her baby, but that's it.

I pour more wine into Lucy's glass, then mine and raise it to make a toast. "To us…"

"To us…" Lucy raises her glass. So do Annie and Eric. Ruthie's still standing and she picks up Sam's grape juice glass.

"To our wonderful family…" Eric says as we sip.

"Yes, here's to our great family!" Ruthie snaps suddenly. "Let's toast to the fact that this family's so wonderful and generous that we let sleazes like Martin in…" Before anyone can stop her, she throws the grape juice into my face and dashes to the front door.

"Ruthie, get back here and apologize!" Eric yells at her.

"Oh, sorry you're such a worm, Martin and Lucy, I'm sorry that you're such a horrid fiancée-snatcher!" Ruthie says and tears out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry about her," Eric hands me more napkins so I can wipe off the mess. Grape juice has streaked down my light blue shirt. "I thought she's accepted by now…"

"Yeah, I'd hoped she was growing up," Annie sighs.

"Face it, she never will," Lucy says. "If she hasn't by now, she never will. You two raised her the best you could, but some kids just don't…she's always been immature for her age…"

"So is it time for our toast yet?" Sam has David's juice glass. He stands and raises it high into the air. "Who do we dump this one on?"

"No one!" Annie tells him sternly. "Put that glass down and sit down at once."

"Awwww, crap," Sam puts the glass down, then laughs. "Nice shirt design, Mart."

"Shut up…" I hiss at him.

* * *

Ruthie doesn't return for several hours. Eric decides to look for her. Just as he's leaving, the phone rings and it's a hotel almost in Crossroads. Somehow, Ruthie made it there and tried to get a room there, but I guess the security guards became suspicious when she tried to use a number on one of Eric's credit cards.

Thank God Glen Oak is a relatively small town also because the hotel personnel, even if they didn't know Ruthie by name, at least recognized her face and thought she looked familiar.

Eric goes over and brings her home just as I'm getting ready for bed. They're yelling at each other.

"…getting into a car with a complete stranger!" Eric's scolding. "Your poor judgment is appalling, Ruthie, it really is…"

Annie's voice joins in. "She hitchhiked?" is her screech.

"No!" Ruthie yells back. "I asked for directions and the guy was nice enough to give me a ride over…it was this guy I've seen in the promenade before…and no, I never had sex with him or anything…but just somebody who looked familiar…"

"Just don't get into a car with anyone, Ruthie!" Annie shouts. "Anyone, is that clear? We have a wedding coming up in a few months and the last thing we need is for you to get into some crisis…you've caused enough of those in this family, so you'd better clean up your act and get it together."

"Get upstairs," Eric orders.

Ruthie stamps up the stairs. She bangs open my door, glaring at me.

"I guess you've never heard of knocking," I tell her.

"And I guess you've never heard of family decency," Ruthie snipes back. "You have Lucy, Mom, and Dad fooled, but I see right through you, you slime and I'll _NEVER_ forgive you for this…and I'll take you to the cleaners as soon as I get a better job and more money…I'll sue you for every last cent you have so you and Lucy will be bankrupt…"

"I already told you I'm supporting your kid!" I bite back. "No court will argue with that, especially since we can all attest to what a lousy mother you are and that Eric's already supporting you and your brats, so get out!" I point.

"Just watch your butt!" Ruthie snarls, but finally leaves and goes to her own room, slamming her door.

Heaving a sigh, I close my own door, turn out my light and get into bed.

* * *

Thank God Annie keeps Ruthie busy all day Saturday helping her with organizing leftovers, cleaning the kitchen, and washing Kaylee's clothes, so Ruthie doesn't get another opportunity to mouth off at me.

Sam and David don't say much, but they giggle most of the day and at lunch, Sam holds up the pitcher of apple juice and bellows, "Leeeet's make a TOOOOAST!" and raises it toward me.

"Sam, if you…!" I stand up and glare at him.

"SAM!" Annie turns from the counter and slaps her hand on the table. "That's enough! Put that down this _INSTANT_!"

Sam smirks insolently, but puts the pitcher down. "Rats…" he mutters. "You would have had a really nice new design on your shirt for your date tonight, Mart."

* * *

Lucy and I go out to eat that night. Eric was generous enough to give me a hundred bucks for the two of us.

As we head out to my car, the window upstairs creaks open. "Byyyeee, you lovers!" Sam bellows out the window. "Don't do anything one of the old church ladies wouldn't do!"

I cringe and Lucy groans as she looks up in annoyance. "Sam, shut up!" she yells. "All the neighbors can hear you!"

Sam smirks at her, but ducks inside. I sigh in relief…until I hear a blatting noise at the window and something slimy lands on my shoulder. I can't tell what it is at first. Lucy gives this indignant shriek and her lip curls in disgust.

She brushes it off my shoulder with a brief flick. "Martin…did you _SEE_ what my ten-year-old brother just threw at us?" I realize that it's a condom…an actual _condom_. Gross.

"Three guesses who probably gave _THAT_ thing to Sam…Simon," I snarl.

"Gosh, both of them are sooo _GROSS_!" Lucy shrieks. "SAM!"

Sam's sitting at the window just laughing as if this is the funniest thing in the world.

"Where in _GOD'S NAME_ did you get that horrible tool of _IMMORALITY_, you creep?" Lucy screams.

Sam shrugs, then keeps laughing.

"Did Simon give it to you?"

"Naaa…he's way too afraid of Mom and Dad to do that…" Sam snickers. "Got it out of a machine at the clinic."

"Eeeewwww!" Lucy snarls.

"Hey…Luce…" I feel my face turn hot as I realize that several neighbors have come out on their porches and are watching us.

"What all this screeching about?" One fat old lady asks.

"This…thing!" Lucy points to the ground. "I don't even want to _TOUCH_ it."

The lady comes over, picks it up and shrugs. "It's just a rubber…a condom…birth and disease control." She smiles a little and tucks it into her purse as if it's no more than a tissue. "Haven't either of you ever seen one before?"

"Don't tell me you actually _USE_ those awful things!" Lucy screeches. A stout guy stands by the fat lady and they just laugh at us.

"Actually, we did in our young days," the lady tells us. They head back to their house as if they had just been discussing the weather or holiday shopping bargains.

"The nerve of those people!" Lucy splutters. By then, most of the other neighbors have drifted back home. "Sam, I'm telling Mom!" But Sam has ducked back inside and the window is closed.

A few neighbors are still watching this spectacle out their windows, so I tell Lucy, "Let's just get out of here…"

We get into my car and I drive off as fast as I can and try to squash down my embarrassment over the scene Sam created. I know my face is still red.

I am thankful that the rest of our date goes smoothly and without further humiliation, mainly because we are away from the obnoxious twins and from Ruthie.

* * *

Lucy's sermon on Sunday is beautiful…almost as beautiful as she is. It's a lot in there about the commitment of marriage, then to my pleasure, she announces her engagement to me. As I stand, most of the congregation applauds, Annie and Eric the loudest.

The twins make their silly kissing noises, but I ignore them. Ruthie just stares at me, then at Lucy coldly. Mercifully, she doesn't have any of her stupid snide remarks this time.

"This time, I think I have it right," Lucy tells the congregation as she gestures to me.

Smiling around, I bow slightly. I recognize most of them and I am sure they know me. Several of the old ladies in the back who love to gossip and whisper anyway, lean close and start their whispers.

"This marriage will be much better than my last one because my soon-to-be new husband is already a good father to two boys from a previous marriage and to my children already," Lucy crows. "So this husband is already better than my first husband ever was…and our big date is the first Saturday in June, right here at this church…and all of you are welcome to attend."


	17. Chapter 17

_AN_: Hi, hope everyone had a very happy Christmas and a very happy Hanukkah. I certainly hope no one suffers through the kind of holiday season the Camdens go through in this story!

Also, I bid all of you a very happy New Year! Let's hope next year is a good one and I hope I can get more fics out in the year 2012; I just started one on _Cagney and Lacey_, mainly about Mary Beth and her oldest son, Harve Junior; I hope I get time to work on in the coming year.

I was very happy to get time to complete several more chapters of this story over my holiday break between Christmas day and New Year's.

I also want to thank all of you faithful readers for keeping the reviews coming; I appreciate that; I love hearing from all of you! Thanks for all the reviews and for reading my stories!

And with the usual disclaimers that none of the _7__th__ Heaven _characters and places are mine, here's the start of their drama-filled holiday season with plenty of strife and a bit of controversy…enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**17**

We're back in court that Wednesday after Thanksgiving. Lucy does stay home this time since Eric suggested that it would look bad if she showed up…it would look as if I were ignoring my own lawyer's advice not to mention that the judge could slap a "contempt of court" rap on me.

And besides, Lucy and Eric have to give the twins their science and history lessons for the week and go over the directions with them. I suspect they also have to stand over Sam and David to make sure they actually do the work.

It does go a little better today, although Rose and her mom continue slandering me. Sandy says little, but just looks over at me at times. It's not a hostile look, but it's not exactly warm either…it's more as if she's appraising me. It's a bit unsettling.

The judge asks me rather embarrassing, intrusive questions about job situation and if I'm financially stable. I explain that I was laid off, but that I am doing all I can to look for another job.

"I want to make sure the job is stable and something that will allow me to be a real father to my boys," I conclude. "That's why it's taken me a couple of months…I don't want a job that will interfere with me being a father first or a job that'll leave me burned out…and I want to research any company I apply for to make sure it's financially stable, so I can support my boys well and not have to deal with another layoff."

I also learn that Sandy's gotten a temporary job with Rose's help and that she plans to complete her schooling by the late spring. Rose's mother buttresses Sandy's case by telling the judge that since she has the support of Rose's family and several friends of theirs, the boys can have "backup" or extra support outside the family…whatever that means.

The judge still leaves the boys with Sandy and Rose, much to my disgust, but Phil tells me that my case might possibly gain some strength, especially since Lucy isn't there to mess anything up again.

"We can keep the pitch that you're doing everything you can to better yourself and plan to get a place of your own," Phil tells me.

* * *

When I get back to the Camden house, I am surprised to find two strangers there, a small, chubby black woman with a little ipod or something and a tall man peering around.

Eric, Annie, Ruthie, Lucy, and the kids are gathered in the living room and the two strangers are with them there and seem to be asking them questions and watching them.

"What's going on?" I demand.

"Here's Martin…my daughter's fianceé," Annie smiles and leads me over.

"Who are these people?" I ask, disconcerted.

"I'm Nichelle Rylas and this is my colleague, Brian Merin from social services," the short black lady puts out a chubby hand, grabs mine and shakes it lightly. "We've come to see that things are all right with the family."

Child welfare! I think in alarm and indignation. "Well, you've wasted a trip because things are perfectly fine with this family," I tell them.

"We've tried to tell them, Martin," Lucy whispers, pulling me over next to her. "But they don't believe us…they _insisted_ on snooping through all our stuff…our _private_ stuff."

I see the social workers peering at me suspiciously as if they've already decided I'm guilty of some horrible crime and decide not to give them that satisfaction of seeing me go into any fits. I hope Lucy or Annie don't either. No need to give them any excuses to intrude even further into our private affairs and our parenting our own kids.

"And does this young man live here?" Brian asks, indicating at me.

"Yes…he's Lucy's fianceé, as I've mentioned," Eric tells them. "And he's a fine, upstanding young man who has provided a stable backbone for my daughter and her children."

"Martin has also given me great emotional support during a trying time in my life when another of my sons passed away," Annie adds with a nod.

"He'd only benefit my family and especially my kids," Lucy smiles at them. "He's already proven himself a great father."

After a few more nosy questions where the social workers insist on knowing about Kevin and what kind of a dad he was and why he and Lucy divorced, they finally go.

As they leave, Nichelle asks me in a low voice, "So, have you had fathering experience before?"

I almost tell her about my own two sons, but stop myself. The last thing I need is for these welfare people to find out about is this mess with Sandy…because if they find out about Sandy and Rose, I am sure Sandy, Rose, and Rose's mom will trash me to them and make me out to be this horrid villain. I know Sandy would repeat her accusation of me supposedly "terrorizing" my own sons.

"Not really…I've never been married or a dad before," I say with a laugh that I hope sounds self-effacing enough to fool them. "But I do love kids and in the short time I've known the Camdens, I've grown to love my fiancee's kids very much."

That seems to placate her. She nods before heading toward the door and hopefully out of our hair forever.

They don't indicate whether they will be back or not, but they mostly say they just have to fill out a few papers and check things with Kevin…if they find him. We can only hope they don't. We also hope they don't know Simon or Mrs. Kinkirk exist.

"Finally!" Lucy sighs in relief. "I thought they'd never leave."

"And we can guess who sicked them on us…good ol' Simon with that nosy Mrs. Kinkirk's help," I add angrily.

"Oh, Simon wouldn't…!" Annie gasps. "Sure, he's been angry at us, especially me, but I don't think he'd break up this family completely…I'm sure he doesn't want the kids to go into foster homes."

"What's a foster home?" Savannah asks. "Is it like school?"

"No, sweetie," Lucy tells her, stroking her hair. "And you don't have to worry about any foster home or school because you'll never be sent to one…I'm your mother and you'll have Martin to be your father soon…and Grandpa and Grandma, so you'll always have a family….foster homes are for kids who don't have families or whose families have broken up."

Behind them, Rick coughs a few times, then reaches for Lucy.

"Are you sure, Annie?" I ask. "Because Simon can be pretty vindictive…he's already punishing this whole family just because he's mad at you…Lucy and I never did anything to him and yet he's taking his anger out on both of us…I really wouldn't put it past him to punish the kids too."

Rick coughs again, then whimpers a little and reaches up to Lucy as if begging her to pick him up.

"I think Simon still wants to see the kids sometimes," Eric chimes in. "So I wouldn't be too concerned about it, Martin…and Karen Kinkirk also wants a relationship with her grandchildren and won't jeopardize it by having them be sent to foster homes."

"I just hope Kevin doesn't say anything stupid if they catch up with him," Lucy says.

Rick sniffles and keeps reaching for her. She strokes his hair, then holds him some. He leans on her and coughs several more times.

I hope Annie and Eric are right about this…but with Simon, you just don't know.

"Mommy, my neck inside feel weirrr…" Rick whines.

* * *

The week's fortunately not a total loss since Lucy and I go out on a date that Friday night and have a good time. Eric keeps the twins busy studying reading, so they don't pull any of their stupid embarrassing antics this time.

Annie orders Ruthie to help her watch Savannah, Rick, and her own daughter, so Ruthie doesn't get in our way. It's amazing that Ruthie has to be coerced into taking care of her own daughter. No maternal instinct in her whatsoever. Lucy says this much as we leave and I drive to the movie we're seeing.

"She's starting to show finally with this baby, but she just acts like this pregnancy is some kind of curse or something," I add.

"Good thing you're here," Lucy leans into me. "And I'll help you with this kid…I'm sure Mom and Dad will too, so he won't be neglected."

I'm not sure I really want anything to do with anything that spawns out of Ruthie, but I guess for the sake of family peace, I guess I can help out with this kid the way I do with Savannah and Rick. None of those kids are mine, but I love that Annie and Eric see me as this great father figure to them, so I guess if I have to, I'll do the same with Ruthie's kid when he's born.

I take Lucy to one of those romantic soap operas she likes. It's medium boring, but I know Lucy enjoys that kind of stuff. There're also several Christmas movies out, so the theater is somewhat crowded.

After the movie, we go for ice cream at the promenade. "Did you see the so-called Christmas movies out?" Lucy says, digging into her sundae.

"Yeah…they do that every year," I chuckle, swirling my spoon through my own dish of ice cream. "Get people into the holiday spirit, I suppose."

"But that's not what Christmas is about," Lucy rolls her eyes. "I bet that not one of those movies mentions Christ or his birth…for too many people, it's all about lights, decorated Christmas trees, silly carols, partying it up, over glutting on food, and presents. These secular worldly people have really basically hijacked the birth of Christ and turned it into a three-ring December circus."

She gestures around at some lights in several store windows and a snowflake design near the fountain.

"Snowflakes…here where we don't even get snow?" Lucy sputters on. "All these garish lights all over the place? And this Santa person commercialized to young kids that's supposed to give kids all these material goods, not to mention all the junk food no kid needs? And then we get to hear about these dumb little reindeer that fly and this stupid boy who pounds on the drum for entertainment…as if that would really entertain our Lord."

"Yeah…" I'm beginning to see Lucy's point. "Society has really strayed…not to mention that they're now pushing this other holiday, some Lanakah or something with this weird candelabra thing with a million little candles."

"Oh, that's something with the Jewish people," Lucy sighs. "It's this thing called Hanukkah they celebrate…I don't know what all that's about, but it's something where they play with this little top thing with weird characters painted all over it and they light this candle thing for eight days….they're putting more of that stuff up to placate the Jews."

"Figures," I mutter.

Sure enough, at the far end of one store window, I see something that looks like a little top. It's blue and the design on the side looks like a kid's scrawling of a misshapen fork.

"Well, my kids aren't going to be exposed to any of this nonsense," Lucy finishes her sundae and sips her coffee. "I intend to keep the Christmas day holy and pure for them…I can count on your help with that, right, Martin?"

"Sure," I say. "And we'll be sure to always keep it _Christ_mas in our family…we won't have it ever turn into Holiday Circus Time in our home…I'm sure your parents will back us up there."

* * *

Unfortunately, that weekend, Rick's cough worsens and he has a full-blown cold, which sends Lucy into a tizzy. Annie is the one who actually tends to Rick all weekend while Lucy hovers and frets.

I busy myself helping Eric organize some files and with passing out the twins and Savannah's worksheets for the week.

"Ruthie, get going and bring up a bowl of that soup I have on the stove for Rick!" Annie orders from upstairs. Ruthie says something I can't hear clearly, but Annie barks, "Go! Make yourself useful for a change!"

I guess Ruthie complies for once because I hear her banging down to the kitchen. I catch a glimpse of her and see that her stomach is starting to grow. Heaving a huge sigh, Ruthie drags the bowl of soup upstairs.

"Mom, those cough drops aren't helping…" I hear Lucy complain. "Why didn't you get something better? You know this generic crap isn't any good!"

"Gee, I don't know," Annie argues back. "Maybe you can go to the store yourself and get something better…besides, I think Rick needs to cough a while longer…it could be the only way he'll get rid of this…stop fretting and hand me those tissues…"

"Savannah, stay out of here!" Lucy yells. "The last thing I need is for you to get sick too! I have enough on my hands."

Savannah whines something unclear.

"No, he's _NOT_ dying of pneumonia or flu!" Lucy tells her. "He just has a little cold he'll get over in a few days…get going or you'll get sick too…go study those Bible verses I assigned from Friday."

Eric and I exchange rueful smiles at each other as we organize a group of reading sheets for the twins, then put them in their folders that they'll work on in the coming week.

Lucy flounces down the stairs with the bowl of soup, muttering, "Ruthie just can't do anything right…so I end up having to do all the work around here…doesn't even know how to turn on the stove and heat easy soup…and I'll probably end up raising another one of her brats as if Kaylee isn't enough…" Lucy bangs around in the kitchen and I guess gets the bowl of soup heated because I hear her head back upstairs.

* * *

Another court date is on Tuesday. It starts as usual, but to my surprise, Mrs. Taylor brings up Mrs. Kinkirk. I start. How in God's name does she know about Kevin's mother? It takes me two second to figure it out…Simon!

Of course. I'd forgotten that Simon still cavorts with Rose and Sandy, so naturally he's talking to Rose's mom and would blab to her about Kevin's mother. I just hope Kevin's mother doesn't get involved in this.

It's two days later when social services calls once again. Eric tries to rebuff them, but we know it'll look bad for all of us if we keep them out, so we have no other option but to let them invade once again.

Nichelle and Brian show up, uninvited to our home again to ask more intrusive questions. We scramble around to get things ready, including getting out worksheets so they can see that we are educating our kids.

To complicate things more, Savannah's coughing this morning on top of Rick still having his stupid cold and cough. "I told you to stay away from your brother," Lucy hisses as she pulls Savannah into the kitchen and rummages around for something.

"I'm sorry, but…" Savannah starts, but can't finish because she starts coughing again. She and Rick both sound really awful. I just hope Savannah doesn't get the cold Rick now has or Lucy will go to pieces completely….the last thing we need in front of those child welfare busybodies.

Lucy finally digs up a jug of syrup. It takes a few spoonfuls to quiet Savannah's cough. "Now don't talk," Lucy tells her. "And try not to cough anymore…your throat doesn't need to get worse and I don't want you hacking away in front of those social services people."

I stifle a smile. Lucy gets into her tizzies over the kids' minor problems, but she always finds something to deal with them.

Nichelle and Brian do look over the kids' work and Lucy and Eric tell them all about the work they're doing and Lucy brags that Savannah already knows how to read.

"And she just started kindergarten this year," Lucy smiles at them.

"And Kaylee…your daughter or your sister's?" Nichelle asks.

"Mine," Ruthie says. Lucy glares at her.

"What an adorable child," Nichelle leans down and peers at her. Kaylee peers back at her with large curious eyes as she runs her little hands over her mouth.

"Are you my other granna?" Kaylee asks her.

Nichelle and Brian chuckle. "No," Nichelle tells her. "But I bet your grandma would adore you, sweetie."

I stifle a groan, especially at Kaylee's stupid question. How could she mistake this black, fat woman for her own grandmother? Nichelle straightens and looks at us along with Brian.

"This does bring us to another question…" Brian clears his throat and looks at a pad. "A Karen Kinkirk, who is the grandmother of Savannah and Rick, has been in touch with us and wishes to become more involved in the lives of her grandchildren."

Lucy hisses to me, "I knew it…that woman was involved someplace in this mess…"

Unfortunately, they see. I cringe and motion for Lucy to shut up.

"So, how do you feel about their other grandmother and their wish to be involved in your children's lives?"

Lucy and Annie paste on these fake smiles.

"Of course, we're _PLEASED_," Annie says too loudly and nods vigorously. They stare at her skeptically.

"We were taken by surprise at first," Eric chimes in. "We hadn't been in touch with Mrs. Kinkirk for some time since she is the mother of my daughter's former husband…but once we got used to the idea…we're now quite…happy that she wishes to be part of our children's and our grandchildren's lives…after all, we do what we can to enhance and unite this family."

"Well, that's good to hear," Nichelle tells us. I let out my breath in relief, thinking we have her fooled…until she adds, "Because it would be a shame if she had to go to court to assert her rights as a grandparent to see her own grandchildren whenever she wishes."

Lucy looks as if she's eaten a lime. "Whenever she wants?" Annie's smile freezes into a teeth-grit.

"Well, on a regular basis," Brian tells us. "So Savannah and Rick can get to know her as their grandmother along with you, Mrs. Camden."

"But my mother's already a wonderful grandmother to my children," Lucy says once she pastes another smile back on her face. "And Dad…he's a terrific grandfather…they don't need another grandparent…and Martin here is a great father for my kids, better than Kevin ever was…it's sure something Martin's first wife and other two kids didn't appreciate…"

"Luuucy!" I hiss, my eyes widening in horror. I remember that I'd told them I'd always been single and had no kids of my own. But it's too late…Nichelle and Brian turn and stare at me. Nichelle's eyes narrow suspiciously and Brian's eyebrows shoot up.

"Well…" Brian says. "You'd told us last time you'd never been married and had no children by birth."

"Well, Sandy was never really a…" Lucy starts, but I hold up a hand and glare at her.

"Just shut uuuup…" I snarl.

"No, don't tell me to…" Lucy glares back, but thank God Eric steps in before Lucy and I come to blows right in front of these government busybodies.

"Settle down here," Eric tells us. He then tells the social people, "I'm sorry there was this misunderstanding…perhaps you heard Martin wrong before…but I can tell you that he is a wonderful father to his two boys from his previous marriage…he's in the process of divorcing his first wife at this time, but he is attempting to work things out amiably with her and will continue to be a regular father presence in the lives of his two sons."

"What about mine?" Ruthie shrieks, coming forward. "He's…"

"Ruthie, shut up!" Lucy yells at her. "They don't need to know your slutty business!"

Tears fill Ruthie's eyes and she turns to glare at Lucy. "My baby is not 'slutty business'!" she screams back at Lucy.

"GIRLS!" Annie bellows. "Ruthie, get up to your room right now!"

Ruthie looks as if she'll create even a bigger show for these government snitches, but mercifully, she runs upstairs and slams the door.

As she goes, Lucy shouts after her, "And don't you dare use your baby to try to blackmail Martin with these social service people! He's already agreed to do his part in supporting it!"

I cringe, turn bright red. Brian's brows are up again, his forehead lined while Nichelle looks at where Ruthie vanished, then at me. I could murder Lucy right now!

"Are you the father of Ruth's child?" Nichelle asks.

I can't think of a quick lie that would undo Lucy's damage, so I am forced to admit, "Yeah…it was kind of an accident…a one-time thing, but I plan on supporting the baby…along with my own sons…I hope you don't think I have a bunch of other unwed babies out there, because I've…kept away from intimate relations with any other women…"

I want to not only kill Lucy, but die from the humiliation.

"I can attest to that," Eric puts a hand on my shoulder and I am grateful for his support. "He has made some mistakes in the past, but he's matured and grown…and is making amends for his errors…and he does plan to be a good father to all four children."

Savannah actually starts to follow the social workers to the door. Nichelle strokes her hair before she leaves, smiling at her. Once Nichelle and Brian are gone, Savannah leans on the door and starts to cry.

"Savannah, get back here," I order, feeling annoyed at her also. Why can't Lucy train her better? I start toward her, but she shrinks away and runs upstairs. Upstairs, Rick's coughing again. Annie goes up to check on him and probably Savannah and Kaylee.

Lucy's glaring at me. I glare back. "Why can't you keep your huge mouth shut!" I yell at her.

"Why can't you!" Lucy screams back. "And how was I supposed to know that you lied to them in the first place?"

"Hey, settle down, you two…" Eric starts.

"Tell Lucy to keep her mouth shut if those people come by again!" I complain. "She has no idea what it means to keep loyal to this family!"

"And you don't know when to tell the truth…until it comes back to bite you on the butt!" Lucy shouts back.

"Hey, don't talk that way to me!" I bellow, but she keeps it up.

"If you're gonna keep it up with these little lies, you better tell me right now because I won't have my kids have a father who lies and hides things!" Lucy shrieks.

"QUIET!" Eric yells at both of us, his hands out. "You both need to learn to work things out calmly for here on…with these government workers breathing down our necks and your court case and divorce, Martin, the last thing you need is this blaming each other. And Martin…no more little surprises for those people…just…tell it like it is…"

"I did, Eric!" I shout, not believing my ears. Is he going to take Lucy's side now? Didn't he promise to support me in all this mess?

"Then why was it news to them about your two sons with Sandy?" Eric demands. "And with Ruthie? Do you realize that it makes you look like a liar…and how does it make the rest of this family look?"

"Lucy's the one who made me out to be…"

"No, you made yourself into a liar!" Lucy shrieks back at me. "Just get out of here, Martin! I don't want liars around my kids!"

"Fine!" I yell back at her.

"Martin…" Eric starts, but I whirl around, stamp upstairs.

I don't need this! I just don't. I thought I had something with Lucy, but not if she's going to be making a fool of me at every turn.

I need somebody who's loyal, somebody who won't blab my secrets out to the wrong people, namely a bunch of social service busybodies who make it their business to break up families and turn kids against their parents.

I need to just get away from this mess. I guess it'll mean going back to Dad's again for a while until I can figure out what to do next. I know Dad's a pain in the neck often, but now that the boys no longer live there, I'll have a bit of quiet. Maybe with luck, Dad will be traveling, so I'll truly have peace and quiet…none of the stupid dramas.

I pull out my bag and throw my things into it. As I do so, I hear Savannah coughing again right along with her brother. My mouth twists into a wry smile as I figure that Lucy's little syrup trick didn't work after all. A perfect little horrid symphony of hacking from Lucy's two brats that she can't control and really doesn't know how to raise, not without a glut of her mommy and daddy's help.


	18. Chapter 18

_AN_: Hi, my faithful readers and reviewers! I lucked out this holiday season and got several chapters done in a row…what a difference a one-week vacation makes…so here's the next chapter…and all the usual disclaimers…enjoy the drama that begins for real here…

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**18**

To my relief, Dad's house is empty when I get there. Thank God, I haven't lost the key, so I am able to let myself in the back door.

I am surprised to see a mess of boxes in the living room and the couch seems to be missing. I wonder if Dad is rearranging the house. Maybe it's one of his landscaping projects. I shake my head and go into the kitchen to make myself dinner.

I get another surprise when I see the fridge almost empty. All that is left is are a couple of frozen dinners, a jug of water, and a half a bag of peas. Drat.

Hasn't Dad done any shopping at all? I wonder in annoyance. Maybe he's been just eating out. I know it's almost Christmas so he's probably busy and all, but I guess he couldn't spare a few measly ten or fifteen minutes getting some basic food. The grocery store is right down the street, just a mere ten-minute drive.

So, it's take-out pizza again. I don't have much cash left, so I have to use my credit card. I go down to the basement after it's delivered. There, I find a few boxes on the table, but thankfully, they are empty and the furniture down here seems to be still in place. Only Sandy and the boys' things are gone.

Flipping on the TV, I watch a news report and a crime drama. The news shows the White House Christmas tree lighting as if it's some huge show. That's one thing that Lucy does have right, I think with a wry smile. Christmas has been turned into a big yearly circus.

At least, I can get away from the smaller circus back at the Camden house. After the crime drama and an episode of a reality show about former teen starts moaning about how fame "betrayed" them, I shower, then settle down for the first peaceful night I've had in ages.

* * *

The next few days are peaceful and quiet. I go food shopping with my American Express and stock up on food, watch TV, even catch a football game as well as take the empty boxes Dad left on my table and toss them onto the floor of the living room. Let Dad deal with his mess of boxes. Good thing he hasn't been home at all; I think he's on another business trip.

One thing I also do is try to reach a pro baseball team through a TV station. I haven't heard anything more from Eric about his getting me on any team and now that he seems to have finked out and taken Lucy's side in her immaturity, it looks like I'll have to take matters into my own hands.

If there's one thing I've noticed about the Camden brood is that they take forever to get things done. They make all sorts of promises, but seldom carry them out. Well, I'm not going to be like that. I get things done.

I get through to two stations that have a human voice answering. But they're not much help. One guy just starts rattling off all the baseball teams in America.

"Colts…Baltimore Orioles…"

"Never mind," I snap. "I didn't ask for a huge list. I asked for the phone numbers or addresses of some around here, so I can contact them directly."

"Oh…?" The guy says dumbly. "So, you're a fan of the team closest to here?"

"Yes," I sigh. "And I'm also interested in getting on their team."

"Oh?" the guy repeats. "Well…em…good luck with that. Would you know how to get into their training camps and recruitment exercises?"

"What?" I exclaim. "No, I don't need training…I played baseball all through high school and college…I know I'm already good…the coaches always said so. I just need a career on a pro team…do you have their number or address?"

"No," the guy says and laughs. Is this moron _retarded_? I wonder angrily. "Perhaps you can contact one of your old coaches and he can give you a reference and point you in the right direction…good luck."

"Yeah, thanks…" I bang my phone closed. "…for nothing."

Yeah, right…call my high school coach…he did tell my I was good at the game, but criticized me for having an "attitude." I'll never forget one time that he really got on my case and nearly kicked me off his team.

I was going though a rough time then. My dad was in Iraq and I hadn't heard from him in ages. Then the Marines wrote and told me that his tour of duty was extended for a few more months. No explanation why.

On top of that, Ruthie nosed through my room at the Camdens place and read my e-mail, then blabbed it all to Eric and Annie. Eric was the one who intervened and stopped the coach from throwing me off the team and explained about my dad and the Marines.

Why couldn't Eric show me the same loyalty the other day with Lucy? Is he that blind about his daughter? I wonder bitterly now. I know Lucy's his precious princess and all, but surely unless he's not that smart after all, he must see how immature and irresponsible she is.

And the two college coaches that led our team have long retired and left town…and the college isn't giving out any of their addresses or numbers, so I'm out of luck there.

My next step is the look online since the TV stations are no help. Dad's apparently either taken or locked up his laptop, so I have to use his old desktop one in the study. There are more boxes in there and the shelves are empty.

Is Dad planning to tear down the whole house, then rebuild the entire thing from scratch? I wonder as I wait for the slow computer to boot up. Finally after what seems like ten years, the computer is ready to use.

I manage to get a phone number from two teams, one in LA and one in Arizona. The computer is not only slow in booting up, but even more ridiculously slow in loading pages. Dad really should junk this computer and get a new one, I realize as I close down the computer.

I call the numbers the next day, but get just recordings. The LA one does have the option of leaving a message, so I do so, giving my name and number and that I am practically a pro player and could be a great asset to their team. This should get their attention since for the past three seasons, they've lost most of their games.

Late that afternoon, Annie calls me and leaves me a message. "_Martin? I hope you're there, can you pick up_…_or call me back? I guess you're at your father's place. Martin, I miss you. I hope you can come back. I'm sorry you and Lucy had that squabble, but let's not let that come between you and our family_."

She sighs. "_Savannah's cough is better and Rick's cold is starting to clear up, but he still has the cough. Those social service bureaucrats came back yesterday and say that Lucy, Eric, and I will have to show up in court next week_…_on Thursday_…_we actually have to _PROVE_ that we're educating our own children_…_can you imagine? As if we don't know what's best for our own families that we're raising_…_well, Martin_…_please call me back_…_I sure could use your support right now_.

I do call Annie back that evening. At first, Sam picks up and I mentally groan. I'm not up to any of his silly little games, so I hang up and wait a few minutes. I don't want to call any of their cell numbers, especially not Lucy or Ruthie's. Annie and Eric share one cell number and I still don't want to talk to Eric, at least not until he apologizes for siding with Lucy against me.

My phone rings back and I pick up instinctively, figuring Annie saw my number on the caller ID and is calling me back. But to my disgust, it's Sam. "Hey, Mart, I know it was you who called and hung up," he sneers. "Who're you hoping to sleaze around with this week? Is it Lucy or Ruthie's turn this time?"

"Get your mother," I tell him firmly.

"Oh, gee, that might be a little hard…maybe I could find a Tupperware bowl here and collect her…" Sam says, laughing.

"Sam…did you hear what I said?" I'm growing more and more annoyed. "I said, go and get your mother and tell her to come to the phone…and no more of your stupid games!"

"Yeah, I'm sure everyone on your street heard you, Mart," Sam's still laughing as if what I've said is a huge joke. "I'll get her, considering you left out the big important magic word…"

I heave an impatient sigh. "I'm not here to discuss 'magic words' with you, you little twerp! Go and tell your mother to come to the phone."

"Sam, who are you playing with on the phone?" I hear Lucy's voice in the background.

I make a face and pray that she doesn't barge in and pick up the phone. I am so not in the mood for dealing with any more of her immature crap right now.

"No one," Sam tells her. "Just some moron telling me to 'get' Mom…this jerk's a real retard too…"

Sam and Lucy bicker a minute in the background. I roll my eyes, beginning to suspect that neither one of them has the brains to carry out the simple task of calling their own mother to the phone in their own house.

Either Annie hears and figures it out for herself or maybe Lucy or Sam do manage to happen upon Annie and point her to the phone because after what seems like three years, she picks up.

"Hi, Annie…how're things holding up?" I greet. "I got your message."

"Oh, thank God you called back, Martin," Annie sighs.

"Bad, huh?" I ask.

"Oh, Martin, those government bureaucrats…" Annie complains.

"Yeah, they sure don't know when to butt out," I agree. "I still think Mrs. Kinkirk, if not Simon had something to do with it. Have you heard from either one of them?"

"No…" Annie says. "And I agree about Mrs. Kinkirk…she probably wants to have Savannah and Rick for herself and to humiliate this family…I'm so glad you called…I hope you reconcile with Lucy…you're good for this family…I'd hate to lose you…I know Lucy can be a real pill sometimes, but she can also be sweet…and she is a good wife and would make a good one for you…I think she wants you back…she regrets the things she said to you the other day."

"I'll believe it about Lucy when she apologizes and when Eric apologizes for taking her side…doesn't it bother you that he spoils her rotten?" I ask.

"Sometimes…it does," Annie admits quietly. "I think if you come back, Lucy will apologize…remember, though, she speaks without thinking first, then regrets later…she's always been very impulsive, so you can't take the things she does and says personally…" she pauses.

"Even when she was in elementary school, she'd get into skirmishes with other children often…most of the time, it was something she'd thoughtlessly said or done on impulse…and when the other child would be hurt or angry, she'd come to us crying and hurt herself that the other child no longer wanted to play or talk with her."

"So, has Eric always been this indulgent with her?" I ask.

"I think so…even I often spoiled her," Annie sighs. "She knew how to turn on the charm in a way that none of our other children did…so please forgive her, Martin…try to accept her as she is…that's what a relationship and marriage is all about…accepting that person, faults and all."

"Well, I'll try…I really would like to stay part of your family, Annie," I tell her. "You really did do your best with what you had. Most importantly, you stayed home and never were distracted by any career or other interests like so many mothers are today. It's much more than I can say for my own mother."

"Thank you, Martin…I really needed to hear that," Annie tells me. "And I'll try to talk to Eric and Lucy…please consider coming back and reconciling with Lucy."

"I'll think about it," I say. "'Night."

"Good night, Martin…call me in a few days and let me know what you decide."

* * *

The team that I called doesn't return my call in the following days. I leave another message with them. I do hope they have the sense to check their messages. It looks as if they don't have the courtesy to call me back, however.

Finals are coming up next week. Thanks to Lucy and her mess, Ruthie's nonsense not to mention their brats, and the whole stupidity with Sandy and Rose, I haven't had time to study, so this weekend I'll really have to get cracking.

I also have a paper due this coming Wednesday that I've barely started. I hate studying on weekends, but this weekend, it looks like I'll have to if I don't want to flunk out of college.

I've done a little more research on my paper and a bit of studying done in my calculus class when my phone rings. The Camden landline number shows up. I hesitate to pick up at first, but if it's Annie, I don't want to ignore it. And actually I wouldn't mind now hearing from either Eric or Lucy, especially if one of them is calling to apologize.

Whoever it is apparently hangs up without leaving a message, but re-dials again. This time, I pick up. I might be Annie with an emergency.

But it's Ruthie. "Martin? Hi, I was hoping you'd pick up."

I'm tempted to hang up on her, but something in her voice…perhaps regret…keeps me on.

"Are you there?" Ruthie presses.

One of the kids, probably Kaylee or Rick, is crying in the background and Sam is yelling at someone upstairs. Sam's always been too loud for his own good.

"Yeah, Ruthie, I'm here. What do you want?" I don't want to completely shun her, but at the same time, I don't want to lead her on by being too friendly in case she's having fresh fantasies of us being re-united in any relationship again.

"It's just that I…miss you…I know we've broken up and I'm not trying to get you back with me or anything…but I'm so alone here and I miss having a friend, just a friend to talk to."

"You can't talk to your dad?" I say. "He's a pretty understanding guy." Most of the time, I tell myself.

"No…he criticizes me almost as much as Mom and Lucy do…and anyway, he's not here tonight…can you come over?" Ruthie begs. "Please? Lucy's out too, so you won't have to deal with her."

I'm silent for a long minute.

"Come on, please?" Ruthie pleads. "I really don't have anybody…Lucy and Mom have each other and Eric…the twins have each other…even Kaylee ignores me most of the time…Mom's taken over her too…and you're a good guy, Martin…you're always there for somebody in need…and right now, I just need a friend…the kids are here, so we'll just be here as friends…I really need somebody that's on my side in this house."

Ruthie really doesn't have anyone on her side besides me, I realize. And since she's carrying my baby, I want to make sure Annie and Eric know that I won't abandon this baby. And Lucy will see how stupid she's acting and patch things up with me.

"Yeah, I'm coming," I tell her. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

I leave the house quickly, figuring I could continue studying tomorrow, which is Saturday. Making sure I have my keys with me and the lights are all out, I head over to the Camden house.

The first thing I hear is one of the kids still crying when I enter. Sam's running after David through the dining room, then back upstairs, knocking one of the chairs over, then the potted plant by the stairs. Neither one of them stop to pick up the dirt spilled on the carpet.

"Hi, Martin," Ruthie's sitting in the living room, watching TV.

Her belly really is growing…it bulges noticeably now and she's wearing a loose flowered maternity blouse. Kaylee's the one crying because she toddles into the living room in her diapers, sobbing. Ruthie ignores her.

"Hi, Ruthie…what's on?" I sit next to her. "Who else is here?" I look around, realizing that there are no signs of Annie or Eric.

"Just me," Ruthie sighs. "And there's nothing interesting on…" she flips off the TV. "I'm glad you came, Martin."

"So, where are your parents…and Lucy?" I ask. "Are you alone with these kids?"

From my peripheral vision, I can see Savannah peering down at us from upstairs. Her long, light hair dangles on the railing for a minute before she retreats back upstairs.

"Yep…Rick's still coughing…his cough has been driving everyone in this house crazy…David even grabbed his neck yesterday…Mom had to stop him from choking him…but tonight it got worse and Rick started having trouble breathing…he was making these weird _whooo_-ing sounds and turning blue…he sounded worse than Simon having an asthma attack…Lucy started screaming her head off…she ran down holding Rick…Lucy barged into Dad's study and shrieking heeeelp as if he could magically cure that boy's cough….Mom heard Lucy screaming and ran in too…"

Ruthie rolls her eyes. "Savannah's in the hall and starts crying, which starts Kaylee up…Lucy keeps screaming at Mom and Dad to do something…finally Dad comes out with Rick, who's wheezing and still coughing…they all grab their jackets and bundle Rick up…I want to go too because I don't want to be left alone, but Mom orders me to stay here and baby-sit the kids…as if I'm the hired nanny around this house…so they're probably at the hospital right now…and I'm sure Lucy's driving the hospital staff berserk with her carrying on…"

"Wow…that's thoughtless of them," I say. Once again, Lucy's center stage.

"Yeah…tell me about it," Ruthie grumbles.

Kaylee's sobs slow to whimpers as a crash sounds from upstairs.

"David, get off that!" Sam shrieks from one of the bedrooms.

"Make me!" David yells back. One of them slaps the other. I also hear several thunks as if books or blocks are falling or being thrown.

"Ahhhh!" One of the twins screams. "You…rotten jerk!"

"Mommyyy…" Kaylee keeps crying and climbs onto the couch, reaching for Ruthie. "I'm 'cared…"

"Your mommy will be with you in a minute, Kaylee," I tell her. "She's talking to me…go play…and stop crying…there's nothing to be scared of…" Kaylee shrinks back and scoots off the couch, her tears still falling nonstop.

"I thought you were gone…" Savannah's standing at the door of the living room, staring at me as if I'm some alien in their living room.

I fight the urge to shout at her to get lost.

"No…I'm not," I tell her calmly. "Go on up and play with Kaylee or something…I need to talk to your aunt in private."

"Are you going to get back with Aunt Ruthie again?" Savannah asks as if it's any of her business. Kaylee toddles to her and Savannah reaches out and holds her. Kaylee keeps crying and clinging to her. "It's okay, Kay," Savannah whispers to her. "I'm here…he won't hurt you…and Sam and David won't either."

"Of course, no one's going to hurt you," I tell them, trying not to snap.

I sure hope it's not _me_ that Savannah's talking about. Has Lucy painted me as some kind of monster to these kids?

"What's wrong with Rick?" Savannah asks. "Why was Mommy screaming? And why's Rick making that whooping noise? Is he going to die?"

"I don't know…and no, Rick is not going to die…so go on and play," Ruthie tells them. "Go upstairs."

"The boys are fighting up there," Savannah whimpers.

"Then go play in the kitchen," Ruthie snaps. "Both of you. And Kaylee, stop crying."

More thuds and yells sound upstairs from the twins. I roll my eyes. Savannah looks at me with huge unhappy blue eyes, but lifts Kaylee up and carries her to the kitchen.

As they disappear into the kitchen, I think I hear Savannah whispering to Kaylee, "We'll tell Uncle Simon and Grandma Karen on Martin if he does anything bad to us…"

I snort a laugh. She's going to _tell on _me? As if Kevin's mother and that sleaze Simon are in charge of me? Puleeze.

When Ruthie looks at me questioningly, I tell her what I heard Savannah say. Ruthie snorts also. "She thinks Mrs. Kinkirk and Simon hung the moon or something…and right now, I'm so disgusted with Simon I'm writing him off as any kind of brother at all…I know he and Mrs. Kinkirk were the ones who sicked those child welfare people on us…so now we have to go to court on Thursday to prove we're fit parents."

More noise sounds from upstairs and the twins come running down. David falls over the banister and lands with a crash right beside the plant they knocked over.

"Auuuuggg!" he yells.

Sam runs down and kicks him, then sees me. "Oh, look who's back…it's the stupid jerk…so it's Ruthie's turn for your sex this week?"

"Sam…shut up, you brat!" I yell, standing up. I'm ready to pummel this little disrespectful monster.

"Yeah, shadduuuup!" David shouts, standing and shoving Sam into me.

We fall over, nearly crashing into Ruthie, who screams and jumps aside. She knocks over a bowl of flowers on the end table and it shatters into a million pieces all over the floor. Some of the water splats on her.

"Daaaaviiiiiiid!" Ruthie screams. "Look what you did! Martin, let's just get out of here…" she pulls me to my feet.

"Yeah…" I nod.

The twins should be mature enough to look after the other kids themselves. I know they're immature, but maybe being alone might get some brain cells into those empty heads of theirs.

"You're supposed to stay here and watch us, Ruthie…" Sam calls as we grab our jackets and get ready to leave. "Mom and Dad'll kill you…"

We ignore them and make our escape.

"We'll just go out for a little while…they won't be back for several hours, knowing them," Ruthie says. "We can come back before they do….they might even stay at the hospital all night…Rick is really sick…he might even have pneumonia the way he sounded."

"Yeah…we have time for coffee," I tell her.

"Let's go someplace where no one knows us…near where we went earlier this fall," Ruthie suggests.

"Good idea…have you had dinner yet?" I ask.

"No…"

"Then let's go to this place I've heard of almost in Crossroads…they have good French crepes there in this coffeehouse."

We get there in about twenty minutes. There's a short wait for a table, but we accept it. We're finding someplace to sit in the lobby area among the other customers when Ruthie moans suddenly and clutches her stomach.

"What's…?" I ask, hoping she's not having cramps or isn't getting nauseous from her pregnancy.

"Nothing…" Ruthie tries to hide her grimace, but it's obvious that she's still in pain.

"Is it gas or something?" I hope it's just that. I can't deal with Ruthie throwing up all over the place or something.

She starts to nod, but then doubles over and heaves out a loud, "Aaaaauowwwwww!"

Several other customers turn to stare at us.

"Ruthie!" I cry, but she seems to keel over and as if in slow motion, collapses right there on the floor. I am horrified to see blood staining her jeans.


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N_: So, glad I could get this out also with the usual disclaimers…I just thank heaven that my holidays aren't as drama-filled as Martin, Lucy, and Ruthie's are…and here comes much more drama for all of them…enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**19**

"Call nine-one-one!" a woman shouts. Several people whip out cell phones.

"No, don't…she's…" I yell, trying to wave the cells down, but no one listens to me.

"Heeeelp meeee, Martiiin…" Ruthie screams, squirming.

More blood seems to be pouring out of her. It seems to be coming from everywhere on her body. It's thick, looks lumpy, and is a dark, bilious red. I fight the urge to throw up right there all over her. The sight eventually forces me to turn away.

"Martin, don't…duuuuurn awaaaaaayyyyyy!" Ruthie shrieks. "It 'uuuuuurts! Make it zzzdop…"

"The ambulance is on the way, everyone," a fat man who looks like the manager in a dark blue oxford shirt cleaves his way through the crowd of customers who've come to stare at this spectacle. He reaches down and strokes Ruthie's hair, which now had blood in it. I can't stand to look. It's so disgusting.

"It's all right, the ambulance is coming…" the manager tells Ruthie as if he's her boyfriend or something. He looks up and around. "Who's with her?"

A lady points at me. "This young man…" I wince and shrink away.

"Ohhh, dear…" the manager looks at me pityingly. "It looks as if you're losing this baby."

I have to look away from the manager also. Sirens blare and it seems as if the ambulance has barely parked when paramedics rush in with a gurney, load the still-bleeding Ruthie on, and start to carry her out.

As the gurney passes me, Ruthie manages to grab my hand. My stomach churns and I once again have to will myself not to vomit. I look over her.

"Martin…stay with me…come…owwww….come in the ambulaaaance…don't leeeeave me…" she seems to convulse as another bout of pain courses through her.

Mainly because the others are watching and probably assuming that I am her steady boyfriend, not to mention possibly her husband, I follow and sit in the ambulance with her.

A paramedic is softly talking to her.

"Is my baby gonna liiiive?" Ruthie gasps.

"I don't know, dear," the woman says as the ambulance roars off.

On the way, another paramedic, a skinny, small guy puts lots of towels around her bottom and does some kind of pumping through a tube attached to her stomach. I guess it's to stop the bleeding. It does manage to slow the blood down, so it's not gushing out of her as fast.

"Maaartin…" Ruthie wails. "Is our baby…? Please, make them save my baby…I'm sorry about the stuff I pulled on you earlier…this fall…forgive me…I still love you, Martin…forgive me for our baby's sake…let's get together…just forget Lucy…I need you…please, Martin…"

She reaches for me and I instinctively recoil, gasping. "Can you sedate her?" I ask the paramedic in a low voice. She shakes her head.

"We don't have enough on board…you'll have to wait until we make it to the hospital…" she whispers. "Just hold her hand…that should calm her."

"That won't 'calm' her," I snap. "Don't you have Valium or something?"

"We no longer use that regularly these days," the skinny guy tells me. "You need to stay calm, sir."

"Martin…where is he?" Ruthie groans. "Where did he go…he left me again…somebody help me…I need this baby to get Martin back…I need Martin…Martin's the one who can get me out of that hellpit of a house I live in…"

"He's right here, darling," the lady tells her and practically shoves me toward her. "We've stopped the bleeding…take her hand…she needs your reassurance…"

I keep my hands away from Ruthie so she won't grab them, but she does grab my jacket and to my revulsion, smears a bit of her blood on it.

It's a relief when the ambulance finally pulls into the Glen Oak Hospital emergency entrance. It seems as if a million hospital staff members are waiting outside the back doors of the ambulance. They pounce, jabbering all at once as they pull Ruthie's gurney off the ambulance.

I hope I can disappear into the crowd and maybe sneak on home, but luck is not on my side tonight because one of the doctors knows both Ruthie and me.

"Hello, Martin," Dr. Wethers greets me. "It's good you're with Ruthie." She shakes her head as Ruthie is carried into the emergency room. "I don't think her pregnancy will make it…I'm so sorry for both of you…but I am sure if you stick by her, both of you will whether this terrible loss together."

Yeah, I'm sorry too…but not for the reasons she thinks…I'm sorry I had the bad luck to witness this gruesome drama of Ruthie's…and when I find myself in the emergency entrance, I have another reason for being sorry…in the emergency room, right inside are Eric, Annie, and Lucy.

I try to duck to the other side, but they spot me. Eric's eyes widen as he also recognizes Ruthie's form being carried in.

All three of them rush over to me. "Martin…what's going on?" Annie gasps.

She stares over at Ruthie, who's convulsing with fresh pain. The doctor closest to her is putting some kind of tube over her mouth. Ruthie's eyes find mine and they are wide and panicked. She's still smeared with all that disgusting blood. I look away.

"She's supposed to be home taking care of the kids!" Lucy exclaims and glares at her, then at me.

"Oh?" I say. I realize that it's best to feign surprise and pretend not to know this. "I didn't know…I was going to get a coffee break between studying for finals…I came in and heard this huge commotion…and Ruthie was right in the middle of it all…I found her lying on the floor bleeding…everyone else was panicking and bickering over what to do…so I called nine-one-one and got the ambulance…she was pleading for me to be with her, so I got in with her…and so we're…here."

It works because Annie and Eric smile. Lucy looks stunned at first, then says, "So, you took charge and got Ruthie here?"

"Yeah…no one else was doing anything but bickering and panicking…I knew it was a miscarriage right away," I tell them as Ruthie is carried into one of the rooms.

Lucy beams this time.

"Oh, Martin, how wonderful!" Annie squeals and hugs and kisses me. "That was a brave thing you did…you may have saved Ruthie's life, if not the baby's!"

"Thank you, son," Eric shakes my hand. "And I do hope you'll consider coming back to our family…we are sorry about the misunderstanding you and Lucy had…we need somebody like you in our family."

Eric praise makes me smile. Lucy smiles at me also. "Martin, I'm sorry about the other day…I was wrong…and you really are brave to help Ruthie out…can you forgive me?"

"Sure," I say. Lucy and I hug and kiss.

Even though Lucy gets on my nerves, I realize that I do still love her. And as Annie said, Lucy is Lucy…impulsiveness, flightiness, mood changes and all. And I am glad I'm still part of this great family.

"Thank God you're here, Martin," Lucy tells me as we sit. "I've been nearly going out of my mind over Rick…the doctor won't tell me a thing…he just whisked him away and hardly even looked at me, even though I told him I was Rick's mother."

"I'm sure he'll be back to tell you what's going on with Rick," I console her. "So, he never got over that cold he had?"

Again, it's best to pretend I didn't know about anything Ruthie told me tonight. If Ruthie claims I came over to the house, I can deny it. Since I am back in their good graces and they know Ruthie as a liar, naturally they'll believe me, not her.

"He did, but he never got rid of that cough," Lucy tells me. "It got worse in the last day or so…then a couple of hours ago, he started wheezing and his lips turned blue…I was freaking out…I had to get Dad and Mom to help…Dad took me to the hospital…and Ruthie was supposed to be home…she didn't tell you what she was doing out?"

"No…she'd started to lose the baby by the time I got to the coffeehouse," I say. Which in a manner of speaking, is not a lie. She might have been going into the premature labor when we arrived, just the outward symptoms weren't showing yet.

A page over the loudspeaker summons us…the Camdens and me, Martin Brewer to the maternity ward. We look at each other and go one floor up. There a doctor and two nurses greet us.

"Ruthie has lost the baby," one of the nurses tells us grimly.

She looks around at us. I realize that she is trying to identify the father of Ruthie's baby. I guess the nurse figures it's me because she peers at me for a long minute, then touches my arm lightly.

"I am so sorry…I know this is a terrible loss for you also, Mr. Brewer," she says.

"Thank you," I try to put on a somber, in-shock expression although I really never felt like this baby's father and really feel no sense of loss.

"May we go in and see our daughter?" Annie asks.

The doctor pauses and looks at the nurses, who nod. "Only briefly. She's under sedation and is sleeping…try not to wake her…she needs to rest…she's lost a lot of blood and she's rather weak with a low white blood cell count."

They go and we walk in. I am reluctant, but I figure they must have cleaned her up. She's asleep on her back and very pale. And yes, they've cleaned her off and put a fresh hospital gown on her.

She has several IV tubes in her arms, one of them pumping blood into her. I try to avoid looking at it. Eric, then Annie take turns stroking her hair, then we slowly leave her room.

Thinking back, I guess I do feel a bit of shock, especially since the miscarriage happened so suddenly and I had to witness most of it, especially all that blood. I hope I can erase that image from my mind soon.

But I also feel a sense of relief…now Ruthie no longer has the baby to hold on to me and try to keep me chained to her. She's lost her final bargaining chip. Now I can go ahead with my life, proceed to marry Lucy and build my life with her without Ruthie's interference and manipulation.

"Martin…I'm so sorry," Annie walks beside me and puts an arm around me. "It must be hard for you too…she lost your baby…she's always been so negligent…I suspect she wasn't eating right and that played a role…"

"Of course it did," Lucy chimes in. "Not to mention running around, especially at night…she was always eating those hot dogs, Doritos, and potato chips in front of the TV…instead of thinking about what was good for her baby, she just stuck to junk food that tasted good to her. She brought this on herself."

"_Lucille Kinkirk, if you are in this hospital, come to the pediatrics_…" another page comes on.

"Oh, gosh, that's me!" Lucy shrieks and takes off at a run. "Hey, Martin, come along…"

I follow. So do Annie and Eric. Pediatrics is on the fourth floor. Once we get there, Rick's pediatrician tells us that Rick has whooping cough and will need to be in the hospital for a few days.

"Dr. Narez, what is that?" Lucy fairly screams at her.

Dr. Narez kind of sighs, closes her eyes a minute as if she finds Lucy stupid, then tells her. "That's why he's been whooping…it's the whooping noise that gives this illness its name."

Lucy's ready to go ballistic again, but Eric and I manage to calm her down. We really can't see Rick tonight, so we decide to head home. In the lobby, I'm stunned to see that it's already five-thirty in the morning.

In the lobby, Eric has to fill out a few insurance forms. One of the paramedics that was in the ambulance is at the desk.

"Hello, Mr. Brewer," he says. "I am sorry to hear about the loss of your baby…that was quick thinking on the manager's part…he kept everyone calm…and it was a good thing you'd come out with Ruthie, so she wasn't completely alone when she started bleeding…it's just a shame that what seemed to be a date between you two was ruined by this tragedy…"

He walks away from the desk and down the hall before I can tell him to shut up. Eric is looking at me suspiciously. Luckily, Annie and Lucy are sitting on the benches across the room.

"So, you were with Ruthie," Eric says.

"I sort of was, but wasn't," I struggle to think up something that will not make me look like a complete fool not to mention a liar. I wish I could run down that hall, find that blabbermouth paramedic and strangle him.

"Then why did you tell us that you called nine-one-one?" Eric asks stiffly.

"I did…" I fumble. "But I guess the manager did too…maybe that guy saw the manger do it, but not me…at first, I figured she was just having bad cramps or something when we arrived there…I didn't want to blow the whistle…" Oops. I silently fume at myself as I realize my blunder.

"So you were not just 'driving by'," Eric nods. "I suspect you and Ruthie were out together when Ruthie was supposed to be at home and watching the kids…did you two leave the kids alone?"

"I…guess," I have to fumble around to something more suitable to explain myself that won't incriminate me too badly. "Sam said they were fine…the house was quiet…he and David offered to watch the younger kids for Ruthie."

"Did he?" Eric asks.

"I guess…" I hedge.

But I know Sam and David would do anything to get me into trouble, so of course if Eric were to ask them, they'd say they never agreed to any such thing. Knowing them, they'd even have the nerve to claim I had sex with Ruthie right in the living room in front of the kids, then "seduced" her into leaving with me and "abandoning" them. So I have to think quickly of some way to get myself out of this mess Ruthie has gotten me into.

"Now that I think of it, it was Ruthie who told me Sam said this…" I tell Eric. "The boys were in the kitchen doing some project and Ruthie went to them a minute…I figured she was just checking on them to make sure they were all right…then she came back into the living room and told me they said they'd be fine for an hour or so…"

Eric nods, so I can see he's at least listening.

"Really…" I reassure him. "I was just going to give Ruthie a short break…I'd just stopped by for a minute to make sure everything was going okay with all of you and Ruthie was the one who got the door…it would have been maybe half hour, tops…then bring her straight back home…I had no way of knowing it would come to this mess…it's really not my fault."

Shrugging, I hold out my hands to show that I'm just as baffled as he is. Since we all know what a liar Ruthie is, Eric is not likely to buy any story Ruthie gives him.

Eric looks at me a long minute, then nods. "I'll finish filling out this form, then we can all go home and get some sleep…let's just hope the kids are all fine and asleep at home."

I nod and slowly head over to where Lucy and Annie are sitting. Annie's dozing, but Lucy's still awake. She smiles and moves over, patting the space on the couch next to her.

I sit and we lean into each other and kiss. "Hey, Luce…"

"Hmmm…"

"I heard the manager of that coffee shop called nine-one-one too," I tell her. "And now that I remember, Ruthie was claiming that I was out on some 'date' with her when we were riding the ambulance…so if you hear anything like that, it's not true…Eric heard it, though, but I don't know if he believes her or not…I don't know if Ruthie'll remember it…she might have been delirious and all."

Lucy nods and hugs me. "It must have been awful for you to watch your baby just die because of her."

"Yeah, it was hard…I'd hoped it would be a boy…but I realize it's for the best…God has his reasons…maybe because it was Ruthie carrying my baby and not you…what kid wants a mother like Ruthie?"

Lucy and I both laugh softly. "That's the positive attitude." Lucy squeezes my arm gently. "Even when seemingly terrible things happen, God always has a reason and it's up to us to think positive and figure it's for the best…and I suspect this baby was never meant to be."

"No, it wasn't," I agree wholeheartedly. And I certainly don't ever intend to play baby roulette with Ruthie ever again.

* * *

It's almost seven-thirty by the time we finally make it back to the Camden house. By then, the sun is rising.

"What on Earth…!" Annie exclaims when she sees the front yard after we park.

We slowly get out and see that the front yard is a complete mess. Torn papers lie all over the grass. One of the front porch wicker chairs is broken and lying in a heap right beside of the porch steps.

There's what also looks like the remains of a comic book ripped and scattered all over the porch steps and grass. There are a pair of pants, a half a belt, and a set of shredded underwear on the front walk. As we walk up to the house, there are Sam and David's little actions figures, some of them broken, scattered all over the place.

Annie's face is appalled as she glares around at the mess and she starts a bit when she sees pieces of some of her best plates and glasses shattered on the porch.

"Wheessssh…" Eric heaves a sigh as he opens the front door.

It's inside that we get a truly nasty shock…in the living room are not only Savannah and Kaylee, who are dozing on the living room couch, but Detective Michaels and a police officer. The police officers stand and stare at us grimly as soon as we come in…and behind them, sitting with his arms around the girls is none other than Simon.


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N_: Hi, got another chapter done this weekend…here's the big fight they all have and the mess that comes out of it…I really enjoyed writing this chapter; lots of parts made me laugh…and there's more drama coming up in subsequent chapters…I think this one will be around thirty or so chapters…it follows the same time frame as _Lies We Tell Ourselves and Each Other_…it'll continue up until early January like the other one did…enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**20**

Simon looks up at us, his silver eyes gazing through his glasses at us, sizing us up…judging us. I can tell Lucy, Annie, and Eric are just as shocked as I am.

"Detectives…" Eric says in a stunned voice.

A surge of anger wells inside of me at this intrusion. "What are they…?" I start, but Eric holds his hand up near my face.

"What's happened?" Eric demands of the officers. "We know Ruthie was supposed to be home…"

Eric glances back at me. His glance is brief, but there's still a hint of accusation that causes me to shrink back instinctively. I glare, however. I thought we'd cleared this.

"It wasn't my fault that Lucy went into a huge panic and left Ruthie stuck with those kids again…" I explain, but Eric butts in.

"Because Rick is sick…he has whooping cough and is going to be in the hospital for a few days," Eric says as if I didn't know. "The least Ruthie can do is watch her own kid and the boys for a few hours…"

Since Lucy and Annie are the last two entering the living room, they are the last to see Simon. But once they do, all heck breaks out with them. "SIMON!" Annie and Lucy shriek simultaneously.

At this, Simon rises slowly. "Hello," he greets as if he thinks he's some restaurant host and we're his guests.

This enrages Annie further and she screams back at him, "HELLO? HELLO? Did you know anything about the _MESS_ in this house?"

Simon's absolute gall infuriates me also and suddenly we're all yelling at each other. I try to stay out of it, but I'm so angry with Simon that I have to demand, "Why are you here?"

Michaels jumps into fray by telling us that the mess was Sam and David's fault, that they were the ones who destroyed the house. Apparently, their fighting escalated after Ruthie and I went out.

Savannah and Kaylee had hidden in the closet. Some of our busybody neighbors saw the twins carrying on once the boys ran out into the yard and called the police on us. I still think Simon had a large part in getting the police here also.

The kids awaken and of course, start complaining and wailing. Kaylee cries for Ruthie while Savannah wails, "Is Rick all right?" as Lucy waves her over to her. While Savannah is going over, Simon strokes her back as if he thinks she's his. It sickens me.

Thankfully, Annie takes the girls upstairs to get them out of the way. Simon and Savannah call good-bye to each other.

Michaels and his partner have to go and get the twins from the police station, where they are being held. I'm sorry those horrid little devils are not going to jail or to a juvenile detention facility at least.

Those nasty brats are the cause of not only Simon coming over here and butting his way into our private affairs, but also of Ruthie and me getting a lot of the blame for what happened.

It turns out that Savannah had called Simon to come on over, I guess hoping he'd somehow come and rescue the kids. And of course Simon jumped at the opportunity. I wonder just how much dirt on us he's managed to pump out of Savannah. He sure will use that dirt against us with social services and Mrs. Kinkirk.

I strongly wish I could punch Simon right here, just smash his horrid, rotten face in and hurl him through the window.

We spend hours yelling and screaming at each other, all the anger coming out and so many hidden issues that all of us have…Annie and her lies, Simon and Annie's continuing love-hate drama with each other, Lucy's immaturity and own dramas on top of her inability to handle her own kids, Eric and Annie's marital issues, Ruthie's stupidity and irresponsibility and game-playing, Simon's own mental issues and especially the hatred he's carrying for me.

And that hatred from Simon seems to be spreading to the very people who raised him and gave him a normal childhood in an intact home, Annie and Eric.

The whole time we're arguing, Simon is moving away…he moves away from Annie when Annie screams at him to face his issues and try to see past her lies. When I confront Simon about the crap he's dumped all over me, his cowardice and hiding, he juts his finger out and jumps back as if I'm this awful slimy toad.

Lucy and I have it out over whose fault this fiasco with Ruthie is and whose fault it is that Savannah went and called Simon in. Lucy screams that Mrs. Kinkirk has called her and told her what an awful mother she is.

I actually think Lucy is a pretty bad mother or at least would be if she didn't have her parents running things for her and keeping her on track. Without her parents, Lucy would have no clue as to how to raise her own kids.

Simon manages to get some real insults in to Annie and me before the police officers finally make it back with those little brats of twins.

"Where the heck were you?" Sam demands loudly as they enter. I fight the urge to punch Sam's obnoxious face and yell at him to just shut up for a change. "And is Simon still here?"

I want to reach out, yank both Simon and Sam by their necks toward each other and hurl them down the stairs or something. Those two deserve each other.

"Boys…" Annie says, then sighs as if she doesn't know what else to say. She's sometimes almost as bad as Lucy with not knowing how to handle her own children.

Sam makes some crack about Simon farting and the house smelling, which almost makes me laugh. Eric takes over then and orders the twins up to their rooms. Thankfully, for a change, the twins actually mind his order.

Mrs. Kinkirk selects this fine moment to call, saying she is at the Glen Oak airport and is on her way over, right to this house. Annie tries to discourage her from coming, but Mrs. Kinkirk doesn't listen to her and hangs up on Annie. Very polite, I think bitterly. And we can thank Simon for that.

Apparently, Lucy feels the same way I do because she glares at Simon and snaps, "Thanks, Simon."

"You're quite welcome," Simon has the absolute nerve to respond as if Lucy is actually grateful for the mess that he's gotten this whole family into.

Something about Simon's tone, however causes me to wonder if he somehow thinks this fiasco is funny.

Eric seems to suspect the same thing because he tells Simon, "Simon, this is not funny…we could be in real trouble and you've had a hand in it with Mrs. Kinkirk…if this family is broken up by those social worker people…" Eric pauses, shaking his head.

Simon uses the pause to jump in. At first, I think he'll argue or think up excuses, but instead he denies trying to be funny.

"This is serious and we should all be concerned…" he says coolly. "We should all be concerned about three innocent kids who didn't ask to be born into our issues we all will be forced to face sooner or later…"

_Just who does Simon Camden_…_or Simon whatever_…_think that he is?_ Just _what_ is his game here now? What's this nonsense of psychobabble and "issues" is he talking about? Is he deluded into thinking he has some kind of shrink's degree or something?

My head is still trying to wrap around this latest from "doctor" Simon as Annie gets all upset and pleads for this to stop. Simon does cut the "issues" we'll allegedly be "forced to face" psychobabble blather, but then he goes on over to the officers and whispers to them. I think I hear the word _social services _in there.

It makes me so furious all over again. I think if the police were not here in our house, I would rush over and grab Simon's stringy, straight hair, squeeze his scrawny little neck until he chokes, and pound his face in until it is black and blue.

But with them there, that would only land me in jail, so there is nothing I can do but stand there helplessly and watch Simon butter up the police as he continues his conspiracy to further wreck this family. Detective Michaels even pats Simon's skinny shoulder as if he's Simon's dad or something.

Lucy's face is red and she starts complaining, but Annie tries to stop her.

"You're just going to let him get away with betraying us?" Lucy screams.

"I haven't left yet and I can still hear you," Simon cuts in as if Lucy was talking to him. "But I am getting ready to leave…"

"Fine…go!" Lucy snaps.

For a long minute, Lucy and Simon stand glaring at each other. Coldness glitters out of both sets of eyes. Lucy's small, round eyes bulge a little as they seem even a paler blue than they already are while Simon's large, almond-shaped silver eyes seem to darken into a wintry gray as he narrows them.

They finally break eye contact when Simon turns to go. Lucy turns and suddenly yells back, "GIRLS, GET BACK UPSTAIRS!"

Then she gives Simon one last glare and adds angrily, "And you, Simon, just get out of this house and don't ever come back!"

Simon is moving toward the door, but abruptly turns in Lucy's direction. At first, I think he's going to yell back at her, hurl more insults, maybe shout at her what a bad mother she is or something. But I see he's trembling a little.

He does something really strange then…he looks down and holds his arms out wide. The girls run past Lucy and me into Simon's arms. He stoops down as he hugs them, stroking them both as if they're puppies. My stomach turns upside down at the sight. There are even tears glistening in his eyes as if he's suffering some terrible tragedy.

"Funny how he likes playing lovey-dovey to our kids, yet schemes to rip their own family apart," I mutter to no one in particular.

I half-expect Simon to stand back up and bark something nasty back at me, but he just keeps hugging the girls, whispering how wonderful they are and how he loves them, blaaa blaaa. I know he hears me. But I guess he's just ignoring me as if I'm some silly, stupid little footnote.

After what seems like five years, Simon and the kids part slowly like sticky caramel. Simon is shaking as he stands. His eyes are still full of tears. Lucy furiously points the kids back upstairs and Simon out the door.

Simon's tears actually flow, streaming down his face as he finally leaves the house. He leaves without another word to any of us, not even a _bye_, not even his own mother or to Eric…who he should still consider his father since Eric is the one was raised him in an intact home, not that Irish sleaze that Annie cheated with.

In the wake of his leaving, Michaels steps forward. "Your son Samuel faces possible attempted assault and vandalism charges…"

Annie gasps. Michaels continues. "A week from Monday, both of you…Reverend and Mrs. Camden along with your son are required to appear in court for a hearing…Sam most likely will get off with a warning…but consider the possibility that he could get a sentence of community service…the worst case scenario would be a juvenile facility for six months."

"Oh, my no…" Annie moans. Eric just grimly shakes his head as he takes the court papers the Detectives serve him.

"I'm sorry it's come to this," Michaels tells Eric and Annie.

"Mary all over again," Eric mutters under his breath.

We all stare at the door for a long minute after the police leaves. Then Annie sighs dramatically. "When I first saw Simon here today, I was half-hoping he'd want to work all this out…I was hoping that he'd want to listen to my side of things…that he'd drop this anger…this horrible vendetta he has against me for my mistake so long ago…"

"Mom…" Lucy intercedes with strained patience. "Does it ever occur to you that this isn't all about you?"

Annie glares at her, but Lucy goes on. "These issues Simon has is with all of us…didn't you see how he attacked all of us, not just you? Surely you see how much Simon hates Martin…and Martin's never even done anything to him…"

"Yes, I know that, Lucy," Annie snaps as she goes into the kitchen. There she lets out an ear-splitting screech.

"_JUST LOOK AT THIS_!" she screams.

We all go to look. The kitchen's even a bigger mess than the living room. Meat and veggies from the fridge are strewn and smeared all over the place; the clock's broken and is dangling by one wire; the table's cracked and overturned; the window's broken; some of the cabinet doors are hanging off the hinges.

One of the cabinets is in splinters all over the counter and floor. The glasses and cups from the cabinet are in tiny pieces all over the floor. So is the blender set.

"Aaaaaah…aaaaiihhhhaaaa…" Annie carries on.

In fact, it seems as if the only thing that is not shattered, broken, or damaged in some way is the fruit bowl. It's on the floor, but is still intact and even upright.

Eric groans, then heaves a gusty sigh. "Darn…and guess who's going to have to pay for this wreck…me…the church is going to wonder why the house is a mess and I'll have to take it out of my paycheck…as if I can really afford this…"

"I think we should make Ruthie pay for this mess," Lucy announces. "She's the one who left those kids alone…we shouldn't pay for her irresponsibility…make her work to pay off the damage, Dad."

The doorbell rings. "Oh, for…" I mutter, wondering who is coming to see our mess. Maybe the neighbors think it's exhibit time and want a tour of what was our house.

We stare at each other as the bell rings again. "I'll get it…" Eric grumbles. "I think I just might have an idea of who it is…"

The visitor is none other than our other troublemaker, Mrs. Kinkirk. She walks in without an invitation and looks around. Her hazel eyes grow large.

Lucy is furious at the sight of her and lets her know it. "Well, if it isn't our other family wrecker…not to mention co-traitor and betrayer!" she exclaims.

Mrs. Kinkirk just stares her down, unfazed by her outburst. "Well, hello again to you, the mother of my grandchildren."

Annie's arms are folded across her chest and her blue eyes are bulging angrily. "Hi, Mrs. Kinkirk," she says shortly.

"Hello…" Mrs. Kinkirk gives her just a casual glance as if she's no more than a piece of furniture. "The boys did a number on this house while all of you were gone…and from what I understand from the police, it was two small children left alone with two out-of-control ten-year-old, aggressive boys. So where did Sam get the knife?"

"Annie's drawer," Eric says, but Annie cuts in.

"Not _MY_ drawer, Eric!" Annie shrills. "It was from the kitchen…it was the boys _YOU_ are the father of that got into the kitchen drawer and grabbed the knife…you know the one that you, who wouldn't let the boys have toy guns, failed to tell was dangerous."

"I have told them how dangerous knives are," Eric snaps. "But this isn't about the knife…it's the fact that these kids are out of control…and you stayed home to raise them…not to mention the son _YOU_ had by another man and lied to all of us for years about!"

"_SO ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP PUNISHING ME FOR YEARS ON END OVER THIS TOO?_" Annie yells. She glares at all of us. "_NOT ONLY IS SIMON PUNISHING AND BLAMING ME FOR EVERYTHING, BUT ARE THE REST OF YOU GOING TO JUMP ON HIS VINDICTIVE BANDWAGON IN BLAMING ME TOO?_"

"_WELL, YOU'RE FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN'T LEAVE YOU OVER YOUR ADULTROUS AFFAIR!_" Eric shouts back, angry also. "_MOST_ husbands would have just walked out that door and left you to raise the kids alone in a _BROKEN HOME_! You got off easy!"

"I'm very glad I came," Mrs. Kinkirk puts in. "Savannah and Simon did the right thing last night…and I'm glad to see Detective Michaels was here too…my grandchildren and Kaylee need an escape from this…Simon is very worried about the children here…"

"No, he's not!" I interject, angry at her nerve and criticism. "He's looking for an excuse to get back at us for the lies Annie told him…he's jealous of Lucy and me…and he's always hated me for no reason…so he's using the kids to break up our family…"

"And you went along with Simon's game and both of you have betrayed this family!" Lucy screeches. "Well, I hope you're proud of yourself! And I know you're glad your son left me! And I know you're too happy to continue this little plot you have with Simon to further destroy this family!"

"I think this family was already being destroyed by the looks of things," Mrs. Kinkirk says coolly. "And you…young man, have your own family to deal with…what about your role in not only helping to destroy this family, but also your own family? You know, the one with Sandy and your sons…?"

"What happened between my wife and kids is really none of your business, Mrs. Kinkirk," I say, struggling not to shout at her. I really don't want to let her get under my skin, causing me to lose my temper and say things she can use against me. "And as Savannah and Rick's grandmother, don't you owe them some loyalty? Don't you have an obligation to keep their family intact, including not attacking their own parents and grandparents?"

"That's interesting that you say this, Martin," Mrs. Kinkirk's heavy dark brows rise contemptuously. It makes me more furious with her than I already am. "Especially in light of the lack of loyalty you've shown your first wife, not to mention facilitating the disruption in your sons' lives and the lack of respect and decency you've shown your own father."

"Sandy was a terrible wife…" Lucy starts, but Mrs. Kinkirk keeps talking as if she's not there.

"Not to mention two-timing Ruthie Camden and Lucy," she continues to me.

"I was not…!" I splutter. My mind races as I try to find some way to counter her attack on me. But words escape me, so I can only stare at her in disbelief at her nerve.

"Did Simon tell you this about Martin?" Annie shrieks.

"No…" Mrs. Kinkirk says. "I've heard much of this from neighbors…and also have met with your father, Martin."

"_MY FATHER?_ _MY FAAAAAATHER?_" My voice sounds almost as screechy as Lucy's and I cringe.

"Yes, your father," Mrs. Kinkirk nods. "You know, he has the house for sale…he was hoping you'd take on more responsibility for supporting your own boys and would move out before he sold the place, so he would not have to force you out…but perhaps you've made yourself quite comfortable here…let's just hope you show more maturity with my grandchildren and with Kaylee while you're living here…"

"I'm very sorry I've had to contact social services…" she continues. "and I really hope, Reverend and Mrs. Camden, that you will let me be a part of this family…so I won't have to go to court to assert their rights to have contact with extended family as well as peers their age…to be honest with all four of you, I can tell that the children desperately need influences and maybe some other parenting outside this immediate family…and now I am going to see my grandson in the hospital, so good day."

Mrs. Kinkirk leaves in a brisk walk, leaving all of us furious and dumbfounded. This is the third time this family and I have been ambushed by other people's vindictiveness. Maybe they're all jealous of us.

I just don't understand why people like Simon and Mrs. Kinkirk, who are messed up themselves, have to come in and screw with normal people like us. Not to mention my own father, who uses his own issues to mess up my life.

One thing I'm grateful for is that my own mother is long dead, her own issues dying along with her in her overdose, so that's one less person to mess with me.

"We should start cleaning this mess up," Eric announces.

"Why should we get stuck cleaning up the mess that the boys and Ruthie made?" Lucy complains indignantly.

"In case you don't realize, Ruthie's in no condition to do much of anything and won't be for a while, Lucy," Annie tells her shortly as she goes into the closet and digs out brooms, pails and cleaning pans. "And Sam and David will just make a bigger mess…"

"I'll get the boys," Eric says. "They're ten…and I'll supervise them to see that they do a significant part of the clean up…"

As Eric calls the boys down, I help Annie fill some pails while Lucy starts sweeping broken glass from the floor. Sam and David do come down, but with lots of grumbling.

"You two created this mess, so it's only fair that you take part in cleaning this up," Eric tells them sternly.

"Yeah, yeah…" Sam mumbles. He passes me and tells me, "Maybe since you're Simon's great pal, you can scrub the grass to get rid of his fart smell out there…he farted all over the lawn last night when he first came…he just fell over backward, all scared of me and just farted."

"I am _not_ Simon's 'pal,'" I snap back. "And Simon should be here helping clean up this mess too since it's partly his fault…"

"He's too chicken to be here with all of us," Sam smirks as he gets out brushes and soap. "I just hope at Christmas, he's not too scared to come…I hope he farts in your food…"

"Shut up, Sam…" I growl.

"Both of you…quiet!" Eric snaps at us. "And get moving! Martin, go help Annie pick up the living room and you Sam, go out into the front yard and pick up all the papers, clothes and your other junk you littered the yard with."

"That was David who…" Sam starts to argue, but Eric snaps his fingers in his face and points out the door. Sulking, Sam goes.

It takes the rest of Saturday to get even half of the mess cleaned up. I help Eric board up the broken windows and help Annie scrape veggie stains out of the carpet.

We even have to spend a good portion of Sunday after church getting the house to look even halfway decent again. Eric has to stand over the twins most of the time to get them to cooperate.

It's when I'm vacuuming the living room and righting the coffee table late Sunday afternoon when I think of Ruthie and how she's actually getting off scot-free since she actually was the one who left the twins alone to go hog-wild on this house and make this huge mess that I have had to spend this weekend helping to clean up.

In a twisted, odd way, Simon and Ruthie have that in common…crap all over us, then run off and leave us with the mess to clean up.


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N_: Thanks, faithful readers and reviewers; I love reading your reviews! And even those who haven't reviewed yet, thanks for at least reading; hope all of you are having as much fun reading as much as I am writing this story…enjoy more holiday drama that unfolds…

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**21**

Thanks to Karen and Simon and probably my own dear dad, social services are back late Monday morning.

We've cleaned up the mess as much as we could, but I know they see our boarded windows and have heard about the havoc the twins have created. They interrogate Annie and Eric about it, implying that the two of them at fault that the boys are out of control. In a way, they are, but that fiasco Friday night was also Ruthie's fault too.

"And you did realize that the children were alone in the house once you took Ruthie out?" Nichelle grills me. There're two other social workers with them and they don't stop peering around our home. One of them even goes upstairs as if our private bedrooms are her business.

"Yes…but Ruthie had told me that the boys had offered to watch the younger kids," I tell her.

I have to remember to keep my story straight. The last thing I need is for these government creeps to trip me up with trick questions that would make me look like a liar.

"But you had admitted that Ruthie has lied to you in the past…so you didn't bother checking her claim…ask Sam yourself?" Nichelle presses.

"She has…but she was showing signs of shaping up…she seemed so sincere that I believed her," I say. "I never dreamed she'd lie about something like this…not when kids' lives are at stake here."

"Reverend and Mrs. Camden…you have admitted, however, that Ruth has been negligent in the past with her daughter," the third social worker tells us.

"Yes…" Eric nods. "But Kaylee has us…and we are teaching Ruthie how to mother her…she's still young and has some growing to do, but with our guidance and support, she will mature and take on a more active role in her daughter's life."

The hardest part that makes me cringe is when Nichelle talks to Savannah. Lucy tries to object, but they insist. Savannah tells them that I hate Simon and claims that I'm "mean" to "her" Uncle Simon.

"And it was your uncle who you called Friday night?" Nichelle puts an arm around her as if she's pals with her.

"Yes…Kaylee and me were scared…" Savannah tells her. "Uncle Simon came…the twins had that knife…Sam was yelling and chasing David with the knife…they threw all the trash and food around the house…they broke the kitchen window…"

"They ran outside right before Uncle Simon came…" Savannah continues when Nichelle nods. "…the police came too…and Uncle Simon talked to them…Uncle Simon looked scared too…then Mommy, my grandparents, and Martin came home…they all got mad at Uncle Simon and started yelling at him…I don't know why they kept yelling at him since he came and helped us…"

"Simon did his share of yelling at us…he really said some terrible things about Martin and me…" Lucy cuts in indignantly, but Nichelle holds up her hand.

"They all yelled at each other," Savannah says. "But Mommy, why did you kick him out of the house…why did you let Martin say bad things to Uncle Simon…why did you yell at him not to come back? Why did you make Uncle Simon cry? And Grandma, why did you get mad and yell at Uncle Simon too? He helped Kaylee and me when we were scared."

"It was just a family argument, honey," Lucy tells her, coming up and patting her hair. "And I am sure your uncle wasn't really crying…we were all tired because it had been a hard night for all of us…I think Uncle Simon was tired…and we both said things we shouldn't have said, but sometimes grown ups get tired and say things they don't mean."

"Martin, why do you hate Uncle Simon so much?" Savannah eyes me. Sheeesh, I better think up a good one for this. "He's a good man and never did anything bad to you."

"Well, I don't really hate your uncle…" I fumble. "I know your uncle and I disagree about a lot of things and sometimes we look like we're angry with each other, but we're really not…and sometimes we're just…kidding around…like most families do."

Savannah just eyeballs me with her huge blue eyes. I'm not sure if she's entirely convinced, but to my relief, she doesn't ask any more questions.

Lucy sends her upstairs to study her reading cards. Brian peers at me. By then the fourth social worker is coming down and is rapidly entering things into a little ipad.

She surveys us, looking at each face every once in a while as if she's sizing us up. I really am growing sick of being constantly sized up…and judged.

"Mr. Brewer…" Nichelle asks me. "What exactly is the nature of your relationship with Mr. Simon Camden?"

I so wish I could say that I hate Simon's guts so badly I wish I could strangle him. I also wish I could tell her all about Simon's sleazing around with all those girls in college, his ping-ponging from one temp job to another and about that trashy ghetto he's living in, but I know that would only make me look bad.

I also don't want to outright lie and imply that we're great pals since they know about our Friday night fight and also just heard what Savannah had said about us, so I have to choose my words carefully.

"I would say it's a lot like a sort of brother or brother-in-law relationship," I say. "We have our ups and downs of course…and yes, Simon and I have disagreed on lots of things, as Savannah has noticed, but I have the utmost respect for Simon…"

"And I do understand that he meant well when he came here on Friday night…" I have to really force myself to say this part. "I understand that he's concerned about us…and the kids…as you can see, Savannah cares about her uncle also…" I smile at her, not a huge phony smile, but a small, polite one.

"I hope once Lucy and I marry, I can continue to have the meaningful family relationship with my future brother-in-law I've always had…and I do wish him very well in his film career," I conclude.

They stare at me, expressionless for a long minute. The worker with the ipad taps away on it. I can't tell if they believe me or not.

But to my relief, they ask me nothing more. They turn then to Lucy and Eric and the kids' education.

Lucy and Eric are ordered to haul the kids' work folders and workbooks that they use. Social worker number four, a Lois Kramer, asks about phonics.

Lucy has to hedge there. "We're sort of using a different phonics," she tells them. "Not sounding out all letters, but using parts of words and all…and my daughter is doing very well with it…she's recognizing words and can write her own name." Lucy holds up a paper with her name printed on it.

"Reverend…" Brian adds. "Your boys…Sam and David…were in school at one point…why did you remove them from school? Roosevelt Elementary is known for being an excellent school."

Eric heaves a bit of a sigh. "Their second-grade teacher…was not very professional…she often let her personal life get in the way of effective teaching…and some of their classmates were negatively influencing the boys."

"But how would you feel about positive peer influence in the schools?" Lois asks. "I have been to all the Glen Oak public schools and many of the students there are polite, moral, and well-behaved."

They are? I think.

"Surely, if you've raised them well, they would gravitate toward the positive influences and benefit from not only making friends their own age, but also gain positive role models from their responsible, well-behaved peers who would then offset any negative influence," Lois concludes.

"I don't know about that," Annie puts in, shaking her head. "Have you seen the news reports in TV? All the shootings and gangs? We know our older children were in public schools, but thankfully, our daughter here, Lucy resisted all the evil temptations of those schools and came out well. Some of our other children…" Annie shakes her head again.

"Mary…_Simon_…" she mutters.

"We understand you and your middle son, Simon, have had problems, including what he's found out about his parentage," Lois barrels on. Annie's head shoots up and she starts to glare at her, but stifles the glare and forces a phone smile that I don't think fools Lois. "How do you intend to handle that in the coming weeks and months?"

"Yes, it's true Simon and I have had…issues…" Annie tries to keep her eyes from bulging. "But I hope to work things out with my son…I love him and want him to be happy…he's had lots of problems, which is partially what led to this…family fiasco recently…we've all been through a lot in recent months…"

"We've lost our oldest son, Matt…" Annie sniffs a little. "…very tragically…and since Simon found out about…his birth father, he's been angry at us…but he doesn't really know how to communicate that directly with us…so he feels a need to get back at us…punish us…"

Annie takes a tissue and wipes her eyes. I hope she's not going to start her _uhhhh_-_uhhhh_ crying in front of these people.

"From what I've gathered from Mrs. Kinkirk, the police, Beau Brewer, and several others, your son has no desire to 'punish' any of you…it seems as if he is worried about the three youngest children here…" Nichelle says.

"But Simon's in cahoots with all of them!" Annie bursts out. Eric puts a hand on her shoulder, trying to stop her latest conniption, but she steams on.

"Simon's always been different from the rest of us! Lord knows, Eric and I tried to raise him right, but he's just…he knew about me all along and he's getting back at me! And he hates most of the values we live by…"

"Remember, Eric, Lucy, Martin…how he and Mrs. Kinkirk criticize us for educating our own kids instead of letting school bureaucrats do it for us? He's a vindictive, conniving little…" Annie pounds her fist on the coffee table.

"Mom…calm down!" Lucy tells her. "This isn't going to help us!"

Eric kind of ushers the social workers back into the foyer. "I'm sorry about my wife's outburst…this has been a stressful time for her…and this latest…isn't really helping her state of mind…" he tells them.

"We understand," Lois nods.

"We'll go…and be back Wednesday at the same time," Nichelle adds.

"How about you not come back at all?" Eric mumbles in a low voice. I don't know if they hear him or not, but they do leave.

* * *

Monday afternoon, Eric has to go and bring Ruthie back home…she's been released. I really don't want to ever see her again, but I guess if I want to continue seeing Lucy and having a relationship with Annie and Eric, I guess I must.

Fortunately, Ruthie just goes straight upstairs to bed. "The doctor says she has to rest a lot in the next few weeks," Eric tells us.

"Mommy sleep 'lot?" Kaylee asks, toddling into the living room.

"Yes, honey," Eric tells her. "So we have to be quiet when we're upstairs…if you need anything, your Aunt Lucy, Uncle Martin, or your Grandpa or Grandma can help."

Kaylee turns and stares at me. Lucy and I are going back and forth in the dining room helping Annie with dinner. Eric just brought up some dinner for Ruthie in bed.

"Martin nop a unnkee…" she shakes her head. "Sime is…and Maaa was…"

"But soon, I'll be, Kay," I tell her, stroking her dark curly hair. "I'll be marrying your Aunt Lucy very soon, so then I'll be your uncle."

"Speaking of marrying…" Annie says as we get ready to sit down to dinner. "We have to start planning your wedding…it's just a few months away…how about in February, Lucy?"

"I was actually thinking of a June wedding," Lucy says. "I've always wanted to be a June bride…and we'll have more time to plan a big June wedding…and I want to go someplace tropical for our wedding."

"What about our church?" Eric says. "We've always done weddings at my church…and I've always been the one to marry the couple."

"Oh, you'll still marry us," Lucy smiles at him. "But we can fly down to someplace like Florida or Hawaii…how about it, Martin? Wouldn't it be so romantic having a big wedding in a tropical setting?"

"Yeah…" I agree, helping myself to string beans.

A tropical wedding does sound good. I'd love the warm breezes, sun, and palm trees. Maybe Lucy and I can talk Eric into giving us a nice long tropical honeymoon also.

"And the rest of us sweating like hogs," Sam snarks.

"So, Mom…Dad, can you give me this wedding I've always dreamed of?" Lucy asks. "It would mean so much to me…and this one will last forever…much better than the marriage to Kevin…"

"I don't know, Luc…" Annie shakes her head. "That could get expensive…and think of Christmas coming and the damage to the house your dad will have to pay for…"

Lucy sighs and her face sinks into a sulk.

"We'll see what we can do, honey," Eric pats her hand. Lucy smiles at him.

"Thanks, Dad," she croons.

Annie shoots Eric a rather dirty look across the table.

_What? _Eric mimes back at her.

"Yeah, I heard it cost like a thousand bucks to fly to Hawaii," David puts in. "Got a thousand, Dad?"

"No, we really don't," Annie frets. "And with Christmas just a little more than two weeks away, we'll have enough bills as it is…I haven't brought anything for the house…and the tree, Eric…and the presents…we haven't even started on that…it'll take us until at least June to pay it all off, then to turn around and have to finance a long-distance trip…Luce, I don't want to disappoint you, but…"

"I have an idea…we can skip the gifts and tree this year," Lucy says. "Let's make a family pact not to buy anyone anything…Christmas is way too commercialized as it is…and Dad, you don't have to buy a tree…Martin and I were talking the other day about it…I've had this idea in mind anyway…we need to get back into the real meaning of Christmas."

"Which is the birth of Christ," I add. "Not the 'holiday' Santa, trees, and lights circus that the world has reduced it to…and certainly _not_ all these material presents for ourselves."

"Good point, both of you," Eric beams at Lucy, then gives Annie an almost smug look. "Since when does a big pine tree all draped with a million gaudy lights and junk have to do with our Lord's birth?"

"I guess you're right about that," Annie nods. "But let's think about the wedding a little more, okay, Luce?"

"But I want the new Game Three that's out this year," Sam protests. "Dad…you'll still get that for me, can you?"

"No, he will not," Lucy glares at him. "Christmas is _NOT_ a _gimme, gimme, gemme, gemme _day…we're all going to church that day to honor the birth of Christ and we will pray and have an un-materialistic _CHRIST_…miss this year, got it?"

"Awww, shut up, Lucy!" Sam scowls at her. "And you're not pushing this 'holy' Christmas crap on all of us out of the goodness of your heart; you just want to hog all the family money so you can have your fancy royal wedding in Hawaii…_Daddy, gimme a fancy Hawaiian wedding with all the works_…talk about gimme and gemme this and that."

"Just cut it out, Sam!" Lucy snaps. "And my wedding is in June…and you will not demand any toys or gifts this year…it's _Jesus Christ's _birthday, not yours…you certainly haven't earned any presents this year the way you've acted."

"There goes the dinosaur set I wanted," David grumbles. He pokes Sam. "We can forget about getting any presents this Christmas…oh, excuse me, _Keeeeriiiiisttt_…msssss… 'cause Lucy always gets her way…only the best for the family princess Lucy," he mutters.

* * *

As they promised…or threatened…the government busybodies are back Wednesday exactly on schedule, much to our dismay and especially Eric's disgust.

And this time, they tell us that they've sent their bureaucrats to speak to Sandy, Rose, Mrs. Kinkirk, my traitor dad, and Simon. Terrific, I think bitterly.

No doubt they'll do their best to make us look like not only unfit parents, but horrid villains. And I have another court date with Sandy to finalize the details of our divorce.

"How did they find out where Simon lives?" I demand.

"He and Kevin's mother are in cahoots against us…" Lucy snaps. "Remember…I'm sure Simon told Mrs. Kinkirk everything and she told these people."

"Greaaat…" Eric mutters.

"My own son…" Annie shakes her head, pacing. "My own son reports me to social services and gets me into trouble."

"No one is trying to get you into trouble, Mrs. Camden," Nichelle tells her.

She and Brian are back and there is a third person, a different social worker we haven't met. She introduces herself as Gera Narrali. Good God, I think. Is every social worker in central California going to converge on our house, intruding on our private lives?

They ask more questions about the kids being home schooled and about Kaylee and who's really raising her.

They ask about Ruthie's miscarriage and try to get her to come down, but Eric insists that she stay upstairs and not be subjected to their grilling. She'll most likely claim that I "abandoned" her at her deathbed or some tripe.

"She's still weak," Eric explains.

They nod and back off on bringing her down, much to my relief. I really don't need Ruthie spilling out the sordid details of her affair with me.

They move on to questions about Mac and if there is anyone in Mac's family that we know and if Kaylee has met any of them.

"No," Eric says. "Mac took off on Ruthie once Ruthie told him she was pregnant…we tried to get Mac to marry her, but he just disappeared…he didn't want the responsibility of his actions…that's why we are helping to take care of their daughter…I've taken on the role Mac should have taken…and with Martin here as an additional male figure, Kaylee has adequate role models to raise her properly."

"Yes, about male role models…" Brian muses and turns to me. He seems to study me with piercing eyes that I think narrow a bit. "Would you say you are a good role model for your own two boys?"

"Well…" I don't want to say anything that would make me look like a liar since Sandy would most likely paint me as this horrible father who "terrorized" his own sons.

"Sandy and I had our disagreements," I search around for an adequate explanation that would counter Sandy's accusations, yet not seem like a counterattack of lies of an embittered ex-husband seeking revenge.

"And I am sorry to admit that yes, we did have several arguments in my sons' presence that upset them a little…but I have tried to make amends since then…"

The image of my own crying oldest son cowering away from me and swallowing the way he did, afraid of his own dad appears in my mind unbidden. And this was all because I raised my voice a little.

This unwanted image annoys me. Lots, if not most parents yell at their kids…heck, my own dad yelled at me when I got Sandy pregnant. But I did _NOT_ get all scared of him and I certainly didn't gulp and shrink away from him.

I bravely stood up to Dad's accusations and blame, fighting back like a man, I remember indignantly. And Aaron needs to learn to stand or sit straight the way I do…not cower, cry, and swallow anytime somebody speaks a bit loudly or he's not going to make it in this life.

I fight to stay calm and continue. "Look, I know most likely, Sandy and I are beyond fixing our marriage…I think we've both now realized that our relationship is finished…but I do plan to be there for my boys…we will work out a regular visiting schedule, so I can be a father to my own sons…that's all I'm looking for at this point…"

"And I know my dad is selling my…um, his house and wants me to find a place…so that's why I'm staying here…so Sandy and I can settle our divorce and we can both be out of my father's hair while he sells the house and moves himself…" I also try to explain Dad as best I can.

"I am aware that my sons have enough going on in their lives at this point and need a stable place to stay…that's another reason I'm staying here with the Camdens…Eric and Annie are good role models and the boys will have them as well as me when they come here…"

"Eric has been wonderful to me and can be a good father figure also to my boys…and Lucy and I plan to get married soon, so the boys can have a real family with Lucy and me," I smile as I gesture around the room, indicating the family I've rather adopted.

"We have observed your family, Mr. Brewer," Brian tells me evenly. "Several neighbors as well as Sandy, Rose, and your father have observed that while you and Sandy were together, the boys seemed tense and often subdued…recently since you and Sandy have separated, the boys seem more relaxed and less fearful…they've become close to Rose and her daughter Rochelle."

"Sandy, Rose, and your father were especially concerned about Aaron…we understand you had several angry outbursts that caused Aaron and possibly Sandy to feel physically threatened…you attempted to intimidate Sandy and the boys into joining you in coming here…not to mention the loud altercations you have had with your own father that neighbors have heard."

A whoosh of breath bursts out of me and I roll my eyes before I can stop myself. "Well…Aaron has always been a bit shy…and yes, there was tension between Sandy and me…and my own father also didn't help matters…he was constantly telling me how to raise my own sons…so yes, there were several arguments with my father…and Aaron…well he needs to be a bit stronger…"

No change in their expressions.

"I am trying to be more patient…and I can help my son in that regard…Aaron needs strong male figures in his life…being with two women and a toddler girl isn't exactly a conducive environment for a growing young boy…for two growing boys…they need a father…and I'm their father, so I can provide that for them…and since Sandy and I are separated, they won't have to witness any more fighting between us…"

"And since my dad and I will no longer live together, that won't be problem either…here in the Camden family, we know how to work things out…sure, they've had their problems, especially with Simon's…" I have to search for the right word here. "...instability and accusations, but aside from Simon, they've always worked everything out and stayed united."

"And I can help Martin get established with his family," Eric interjects. "Really, this has gone far enough…I really find it hard to believe that you haven't seen Simon's instability and Mrs. Kinkirk's own issues…"

"Lucy and Kevin parted on rather bitter terms, so it's no surprise that Kevin's mother has issues with us…she most likely blames the divorce on us when it was Kevin…her _own_ _son_…who walked out on my daughter and left her with two children to raise without a father."

Eric's eyes widen indignantly as he stands straighter. "And Simon…_Simon_…" he lets out an angry _wheeeesh_ and shakes his head vigorously.

"Simon…has a history of premarital sex, drunkenness, rebellion, money problems, shady friends, and mental problems…and God knows what else. Lord knows, I've tried to help him get a stable, good job since he has essentially been unemployed for the past couple of years…" Eric sighs gustily.

"I have tried to reach out to him even though he's not even my blood son, but he has continuously and I might add _ungraciously_ rejected all of my offers of help and has basically shunned me…even though I raised him as my own son."

"We're sorry to hear you feel that way about Simon," Nichelle tells him coolly. "Because from what some of his 'shady' friends and what Mrs. Kinkirk, Mr. Beau Brewer, and many of your own neighbors have told us, Simon is actually a very stable young man with a good place of his own and is supporting himself quite well financially with excellent temporary and contracting jobs…"

"Supporting himself well…" I mutter under my breath. "Right, real well off in that horrid ghetto…"

Nichelle either ignores or doesn't hear my comment. "And he has several good friends and seems to get along well with most others in a variety of settings…completed college with honors and is about to begin a career in film directing…"

"That aside, the big picture is that Simon, Mrs. Karen Kinkirk along with Beau Brewer, your own neighbors, and Rose are genuinely concerned about three innocent children," she lectures us as if we should all join the Team Simon bandwagon.

Gera butts in with her own bombshell. "In fact, Mrs. Kinkirk has petitioned the court that if she is denied regular visitation or this home is found unfit, she will file for custody of Savannah and Eric Kinkirk."

"_SHE CAAAAAN'T DO THAAAAAAAT!_" Annie shrieks at the top of her lungs. Wincing, I make a face at her.

Lucy glares at her also, but also sticks a tongue out at Gera. _Uoooomph_ she grunts angrily.

"Of all the vindictive, spiteful…!" Eric spits.

"It would serve all of you right!" Ruthie's unpleasant voice suddenly shrills from the stairs. "Lucy, you're a terrible mother and Martin, you're a lousy father and an all-around _JERK_!"

"Ruthie, get back upstairs!" Annie yells. "Stay out of this!"

"No!" Ruthie shouts back and comes on down as if we invited her.

She's still very pale. She is wearing a loose polo shirt and what I suspect is a pair of _MY _pants. The pants are pinned at the waist area to stay on her slender frame and bag down over her feet.

"Did you tell them how you got me pregnant, then dumped me, Martin?" Ruthie continues. "And did you explain to them how you came by and led me on into thinking there was still something between us, then as I lay there losing my baby in that emergency room, Lucy butted in with her little crisis with her own son and stole you back from me?"

"Just shut up, Ruthie!" Lucy advances toward her, her eyes menacingly wide and icy.

Brian holds out his hand, telling us all to quiet down. "Let's hear what Ruth has to say since she's here now…what is the nature of your relationship with Martin…and your daughter?"

Ruthie smirks at Lucy, then me. I glare furiously at her. Nichelle stares me down.

"First off, Martin has been mooching off this family for years…Mom and Dad pamper him and Lucy like there's no tomorrow…"

"Eh! Ehhehhe…!" Eric starts angrily, but Nichelle shushes him.

Eric glares at her, but doesn't cut in any further. It angers me that these government socialists, who have no clue about this family, are taking charge and even controlling the heads of this house.

It's a bitter realization that the days when parents were in complete charge of their own children and had the final and only say of what went down in their own families are now gone.

If this disaster Simon and Mrs. Kinkirk along with Ruthie and Sandy have created has taught me any lessons, it's that our government is now basically socialist. It is now in charge of all of us, including our own families. They own our kids now, not us parents.

"You do and you know it, Dad," Ruthie barrels on. "And Martin got Sandy pregnant and for months, avoided her. He only took her back because you and this creep's own dad guilted him into taking care of his own son…and he married Sandy, who was an awful wife and mother…they never even loved each other…Martin led me to believe he loved me…"

She stares at me and I see tears glint in her eyes. I look away in distaste. I hope she's not going to start crying in front of these people and make them feel sorry for her.

"I loved Martin for years, but at first he didn't give me the time of day…I was depressed over it for a long time…my high school years were miserable because of this jerk stringing me along…I had no other friends…it was never easy for me to make friends…well, Mac and this other guy Vince sometimes hung out with Martin and me…but Vince turned out to be a jerk too and ditched me in public."

Ruthie finally breaks her stare at me. "And I started college…and Dad made Martin marry Sandy, even though Mom and Lucy hate her…so do I…Sandy's a promiscuous tramp…she trapped Martin with that baby, which served him right…so I decided to get even with Martin…"

"Mac was at the same college, so I went out with him…we had a relationship for a while…and I thought Mac loved me…but I got pregnant…it was only _ONE_ time, but I still got pregnant with Kaylee…"

"I thought Mac would stick by me and marry me…he seemed to understand at first…but Mom and Dad butted in…they yanked me out of college and made me come home…told me to go to a community college after I had Kaylee…Dad tried to force Mac to marry me, but Mac got chicken and took off…totally left me high and dry…" Ruthie glares at her parents. Annie glares back.

"But Lucy had her nonsense with Kevin and Kevin split, so Lucy had to move back home…had her kids and Mom and Dad went back to ignoring me and spoiled Lucy like they always did…"

"Martin came over often…and usually invited himself to dinner…and Eric and Annie fell for it and let him stay…he and Sandy were having their marriage problems…that's when Martin and I started confiding in each other…" Ruthie heaves a gusty sigh.

"I thought he loved me again…he led me on…told me he never loved Sandy…he told me he was planning to leave her…" She sits forward for the purpose of giving me this disgusted look as if her shenanigans are my fault.

"But he got me pregnant and like Mac, blamed and dumped me…Martin's a terrible father…and a terrible jerk who uses people…he and Lucy deserve to lose their kids...they are both _SPOILED ROTTEN!_"

The social workers are peering at all of us, once again assessing our worthiness. A fresh wave of rage overtakes me as I once again see that they are in control; they have power over our lives and especially our kids.

And these arrogant pricks are not afraid to show the power they have over us. They remind us of our court dates tomorrow and Annie and Eric to be in court on Monday over Sam's stupidity last Saturday. They eventually leave, but really don't comment much on what Ruthie has told them.

Once they leave, we have our work cut out…Eric and Lucy have to gather all the kids' schoolwork together to present in court. I have to think up and maybe write down evidence that I will be a better parent than Sandy.

Lucy and Eric mutter things back and forth, complaints about Mrs. Kinkirk and Simon. "I will _NEVER_ forgive Simon for this!" Lucy splutters. "_NEVER_."

"I can't believe Ruthie just came down and carried on like that," I add my complaints. "She's also a traitor like Simon."

"Why didn't Mom stop her?" Lucy demands. "Dad, once Mom started carrying on and crying in front of those people, why didn't you just send her out of the room?"

Eric _wheesh_es and runs his fingers through his thin hair. "Your mother doesn't really listen to anyone these days…and she would have just turned and yelled at me, making an even worse impression…the last thing we need is for those bureaucrats to get the impression that your mother and I have a bad marriage."

Eric looks up at both of us. "So, tomorrow, all of us have to appear united…no bickering or carrying on in front of the judge…and please, no meltdowns tomorrow…the last thing we need is for anyone to put on a show right in court."

Lucy and I both nod.

"And Martin, make sure you don't rise to the bait if Rose or Sandy try anything…make sure you appear calm and caring for those people…you know what a concerned father is like since you care for those boys…and you can tell them Annie and I are available to help you with the boys….good luck tomorrow."

"Yeah…" I nod. "Well…good luck to you also, Eric. People respect you…once they know you've got things here under control, they won't let that Kinkirk woman pull anything over on us."

"Over my dead body will that Kinkirk…" here Lucy inserts the slang term often used for female dogs. "…get my children."

Although Eric despises true cursing, he doesn't react to Lucy's epithet for Mrs. Kinkirk. Instead, he just calmly tells her, "Tomorrow, Luce, you'll need to stay calm…not let Mrs. Kinkirk get to you…no matter what she says…even if she slanders you…"

Lucy lets out an angry little squeal. "What…?"

Eric holds up his hand. "Just smile slightly and say that you are a fine mom and that since you were raised by fine people…your mother and me…you've learned from good role models on how to raise children…I'm sorry, Luce, but you'll need to eat a bit of bile and act conciliatory toward Mrs. Kinkirk…pretend that you are pleased that the kids are gaining another grandmother in their lives and act as if you are fine with her coming to visit…"

Lucy reddens and glares, but this time says nothing and doesn't make any of her noises.

"Once you appear to be the accommodating daughter-in-law, the court then will see how reasonable you are…they'll see that Mrs. Kinkirk's charges are totally unfounded and she won't be able to take our kids away…we might be forced to let her visit once in a while, but that's all…and since she actually lives in New York, how often will that be? Once or twice a year, tops?"

Lucy appears a bit calmer, then nods.

"And everyone will see how well Savannah's learning under both of your tutelage," I add. "So that Kinkirk woman can't pin any 'educational neglect' crap on us…so we can keep on educating our own kids…oh, Eric…I was thinking…when I get my own sons here, do you and Annie think you can help me? I want to home school them too."

"Sure, Martin…we'll see how tomorrow goes, though…" Eric nods. "Let's take things one day at a time for now…get through this week and Monday…once this mess clears up and you get your boys here, we can talk about a home schooling program for the boys once they reach school age."

Using Eric's computer, I download and print out as much information as possible on the benefits of kids' living with their own fathers and their own fathers raising them. I also hit gold when I come across information on "parental alienation syndrome."

"PERFECT!" I crow.

"What?" Lucy asks as she and Eric join me at the computer.

I show them what I found. "That's what Sandy's done to me…her boys are poisoned against me by parental alienation syndrome…very common in divorce…a bitter ex-wife gets back at her husband for splitting from her…so she uses the kids and alienates them from their own father."

"Good work, Martin," Eric smiles at me.

"If the PAS claim doesn't convince the judge, nothing will," Lucy adds. "You are clever, Martin…I'm lucky to have you…" she kisses my cheek and I kiss back, smiling at her.

* * *

The next morning, all of us try to appear united as we head to court. Annie orders Ruthie to watch Savannah. We have to take Sam and David with us unfortunately. The last thing we need is for those two to create another debacle like last weekend and land us in greater hot water.

Ruthie is slowly getting better and doesn't need to rest as much. She's taking some kind of antibiotic for some kind of female infection I'd prefer to know nothing about, but is able to be up and around more. Since it's just Savannah and Kaylee this time, we hope she can at least manage that for a couple of hours in the morning.

For good measure, Lucy and Annie do order Savannah and Kaylee to stay quiet, do as Ruthie tells them, and to not act up.

"And don't you dare call your Uncle Simon again," Lucy tells Savannah. "Or your other grandma…they don't understand how we live…we don't need them here complicating things…our family is in trouble here and we need to save it…I expect you to not make trouble either…got it?"

"Yes…but Uncle Simon was trying to help us…why don't you want him to help our family?" Savannah whimpers. "He's nice to us…and he's so good to everyone…he cries and worries about us…"

I snort at this. Simon is _NOT_ nice to me at all and never has been. And with all his immoral sleeping around and hanging around with fellow sleazes, he can hardly qualify as "good" in my book.

"No, he's…!" Lucy starts, but catches herself. "Maybe he was trying to help us that night…but I think he also made a mistake…he knows our family's in trouble, but I think he blamed the wrong people…since he doesn't live here, he got the wrong idea about us…so please…no trouble today…okay?"

I guess Savannah doesn't argue because Lucy comes back downstairs and joins us as we leave.

So here's what goes down with me and my court deal…the divorce is finalized.

But Sandy with the generous help of Rose and her mother, who trips my lawyer and me up with one sneaky insinuation after another and with two psychologists…or maybe they're psychiatrists; I never can tell the difference between all the shrink titles they use these days, I am painted as these abusive father who can't keep his temper under control and am a "threat" to the boys.

And to ice the cake of betrayal, my own dad is there and tells everyone about my unemployment and how I really am not "ready at this time" to be a father and about how "manipulative" the Camden parents are. I can only sit there helplessly and glare at my father in fury.

My own father…my own father, who has just thrown egg in his own son's face. And he has the _gall_ to talk about "fit" fatherhood. If anyone's an unfit father, it's Beau Brewer.

Once my turn to testify comes, I'm ready to go full force. I try to tell the judge and everyone in the courtroom about my dad's mental state in light of his involvement with Iraq and how unbalanced he is, but the judge keeps cutting me off, braying, "Just aaaaaanswerrrrrr the question, Mr. Brewerrrrr…"

It's a real fight to stay calm, but I manage to at least outwardly appear calm. When I am asked about my relationship to Sandy, I begin telling everyone about her shady past, but the judge declares it "irrelevant to the question."

"Irrelevant?" I splutter in shock, my eyes wide.

The judge then moves on to us as parents. I pull out the printout on PAS. Sandy, it turns out has found a temporary job and is now supporting the boys. Rose helps some, but she adds that Sandy is doing well and has opened several bank accounts.

"Aaron isn't so nervous anymore…" Rose tells the judge with that sickeningly sweet smile she has. "He laughed yesterday for the first time in a long time…and the boys along with my own daughter are beginning to think about Christmas and Santa…like most other kids."

I'm appalled to see the judge actually smile at her. Knowing Rose and how materialistic she is, she'd brainwash my boys into that gimme, gemme mentality that Lucy was talking about the other day.

Sam still complains under his breath that it's Lucy's "fault" that he won't be getting those stupid video games for Christmas. And he and David now say that stupid _keeeeerist_…_msss_ all the time. They really think they are cute.

Once my turn comes again, I start to show the judge and Mrs. Taylor my information on PAS, but Mrs. Taylor turns it back on me. "Looks like you did a fine job on your own, Mr. Brewer, of alienating your own sons from yourself."

My fury rises again as she not only grills me about my leaving for the Camdens several times, but my fights with Sandy and that I "yelled at" my sons and made Aaron swallow and cower.

The judge dismisses my PAS claim anyway, citing that it's "outdated junk science" that "died out in the early nineties" as if it were no more than a dated rock band or TV show.

The whole going back and forth drags through the morning and we have to take a lunch. But once we come back, the nasty shock comes that the judge thinks I'm an "unfit" father and grants full custody to Sandy.

"HEYYYY, WAAAAIT…!" I fairly scream at the judge as Sandy and Rose smile and hug each other, no doubt gloating over my humiliation. My own useless lawyer touches my arm, but I jerk away.

The judge glares at me, but then ignores me and continues with the next blow…I am denied even visitation for several years. It seems as if he somehow knows about last Saturday's disaster, about Sam, David, about that punk Simon and that witch Kinkirk.

I wonder if Simon and Mrs. Kinkirk secretly met with the judge to slander me. I wouldn't put it past any of those sneaky sleazes.

As I watch Sandy and Rose along with Mrs. Taylor leave the courtroom triumphantly, all arm-in-arm, I wonder just where my boys are now. I wouldn't be surprised if they have them in some day care center already being raised by strangers.

I look for my dad, but he's already vanished like a coward. He's really not much different than Simon, I think. If I didn't know better, I'd think he really was Simon's father. Those two deserve each other. I scowl as my lawyer mutters apologies.

I turn my scowl on my lawyer, then turn my back on him and stalk out of the courtroom. His apologies sure don't cut it in the face of his total uselessness.

* * *

The mood in the house is grim as we all return. Lucy and Eric's evidence, all their work was deemed not good enough for those court high and mighty aristocrats, so essentially, they've been ordered to place the kids in school…an institution that "educates" with so-called "professionals."

"So what if we don't?" Lucy screeches. "What if we practice that civil disobedience and refuse to obey their order?"

"No, Luce," Eric almost gasps. "We could be jailed…all of us! Then we'd really lose our kids to Karen Kinkirk! That would surely only play right into her hands. Just…we'll have to cooperate for now with them."

"Yeah…and we have to let that Kinkirk woman invade our lives," Annie complains bitterly. "She's been granted her grandparents rights, sure enough…thank God they had the sense not to completely take the kids away from us, but we have to let her visit whenever she pleases…"

"I lost my own boys," I add my complaint in. "They basically judged me as 'unfit' because of a few misunderstandings…as if no dad in the world has ever had a disagreement with his own wife…Eric, I know you and Annie have had fights over the years, but no judge ever took your kids away, not even when Simon started rebelling and messing up his life."

"Well, Martin, we still have the hearing with Sam this Monday," Eric sighs gustily. "So we still have Sam to possibly lose to juvenile hall if some people have their way…"

The phone rings and Annie, who's starting to get dinner ready, picks up. It only takes a minute to see that she's not happy with whoever is calling. Oh, God, let's hope it's not that Kinkirk woman already inviting herself over here.

"Uhhh-uhhhh," Annie nods. "Well, Lilly…I don't think this is a good time…well, I have too much to do this Christmas…yes, the kids are all fine…my grandchildren are doing great…you want to…I know you're their aunt and great-aunt, but Lilly, really…"

Lilly. Annie's illegitimate half-sister. Lucy groans and Eric lets out another _wheeesh_.

After a few minutes of Lilly apparently yammering on, Annie finally says, "Well, then I'll see you…I'll let you know when I'm free…bye." she bangs down the phone so hard the phone makes a ninging sound.

"Guess who…" Annie laughs bitterly as she starts to yank things out of the fridge. "Lilly, my illegitimate sister from my father's teenage affair, wants to come for Christmas dinner and see all of the kids…" she spills a bunch of lettuce on the floor.

"As if we don't have enough trouble in this house already!" Annie screaming now and slams the fridge door shut. She scrapes the lettuce from the floor and flings it all into the trash.

"So why didn't you just tell her to butt out?" Lucy asks as she and I move to get the plates out for the table. Since most of our real glasses were smashed last weekend, we have to fish out the cheap tacky plastic little cups that we usually reserve for the kids.

"Well, apparently, she's heard about the mess Mrs. Kinkirk and Simon have helped cause!" Annie cracks a corning ware dish in slamming it down.

"Oh, Loooorrrd," Eric mutters as he gathers silverware. "So she's in cahoots with Kevin's mother…next is Lilly dragging us to court demanding her 'great-aunt's' rights."

"Euuugh!" Annie exclaims as she hurls the broken corning ware into the trash can and hunts for another serving dish for the vegetables she's making.

"So, Lilly had the nerve to invite herself over here for Christmas dinner?" I ask incredulously.

"Almost…" Annie says huffily. "She wants to meet the grandkids and come visit during the holidays…and is asking for them to go over and visit her…as if I'd let our kids go to a strange woman's house!"

Lilly sounds as nervy as Mrs. Kinkirk. Eric has to make a quick run to his office to check for messages and meet briefly with the elders, but promises to be back in an hour. Annie tells him she'll have dinner ready.

"Then we'll figure out what to do about Lilly," Lucy calls as Eric grabs a jacket and heads out.

It's actually an hour and a half before Eric makes it back. By then, dinner is ready. Annie broke another plate and a mug in her anger, but still has managed to put together a super meal, as usual.

"Guess who else called," Eric announces grimly as we sit. I groan.

"Simon," Eric says this shortly.

"It's about time," Lucy says. "I hope you read him the riot act for all he's put us through."

"Simon!" Annie's eyes bulge. "Well, why did he call _you_ at _YOUR_ office and not here? He should have called here, his own family, for Christ's sakes!"

"So, is he reconsidering your offers of help?" I ask, thinking maybe he's finally gotten sick of his temp jobs and realizes he's getting nowhere.

"No, he's not," Eric tells us, "In fact, the opposite…he's moving to New York City in a few days…he starts his permanent job in the film industry in a couple of weeks, he tells me…and to top it all off, he adds he's not coming home at all for Christmas either."

"It figures," Lucy grumbles. "We're not good enough for Simon anymore…and of course, why would he want to spend his holiday in poky little Glen Oak when the lure of glamorous New York is calling? I think Simon's always looked down on this town…like he's above poky little Glen Oak."

Annie bangs down a fork angrily. "So _now_ he decides to tell us about this move?"

"No, he told us at Thanksgiving," Sam puts in. "He was always miserable here anyway…well, we won't have to look at his ugly face again since he'll be way across the country."

"We should be happy he'll be gone," Ruthie adds. "I never want to see him again…you know he had the nerve to come see me at the hospital and bring me this dumb card and flower? I told him to get lost…he just stared at me, turning all red and wet-eyed, then whimpered this _Goodbye, Ruthie _as he left…like he's really sorry I lost my baby."

"This isn't about you, Ruthie," Lucy snaps.

"Well, it isn't all about you either!" Ruthie snipes back. "Maybe you and Martin should just get married in Hawaii and stay there and not come back!"

"And maybe next Christmas, things can get back to normal around here," Sam interjects. "Then I can get my Game Three without Princess Lucy's butting in with her _KEEER_. _AIIISSST_. _MSSS_ drivel as an excuse for hogging everything for herself…and we won't have to look at Simon's dog face anymore, listen to his dog whimpering, or have his fart smell all over this house again."

"Sam…Ruthie!" Eric scolds.

"Tell Lucy and Ruthie to knock it off…" Sam mutters, digging into his mashed potatoes.

"Uncle Simon can make movies now!" Savannah actually grins as if this is great news and we should all jump up and applaud. "Remember how he said he wants to make movies, Grandpa…Mommy? So he'll be happy again…and he'll see Uncle Matt and Aunt Sarah's kids again…"

"Well, what is he going to do for Christmas?" Annie demands. "Mope over there in all that cold among all that pollution and all those concrete skyscrapers, blaming us for his problems?"

"I really don't know, Annie," Eric sighs. "He's always wanted to escape us…I really don't understand his thinking…I just don't know what is wrong with him…he acts as if we're criminals or something…well, this is his escape…this Saturday he's going."

"_THIS SATURDAY_?" Annie screeches. Savannah and Kaylee cover their ears. "As in _TWO DAYS_?"

Eric nods as he spears his veal cutlet. "That's what he told me."

"You'd think he'd have the _COURTESY_ to give us more notice!" Annie exclaims. "Not to mention call me directly…I guess this is his way of just shutting me out again…I really don't understand him…my own son wants to escape me…after I provided a loving home for all my kids…"

"I don't think he ever had courtesy in the first place, Annie," I say. "I think we'll all be better off without him around."

But neither Annie or Eric look pleased. I guess they still feel this obligation to him or something…maybe Annie wants to feel important to Simon since she actually is Simon's mother.

Or maybe Annie's afraid that Simon will dig up his birth dad and find out more sordid details about her affair. I wipe my mouth to hide a grin. In a way, it would serve Annie right.


	22. Chapter 22

_A/N_: Thanks once again for all your great reviews! I appreciate all of them! I love that so many people are getting into this story; it means a lot to me…so onward…

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

22

If there's a Sunday we need church, it's this one with all the crap that has gone down in our house. As usual, Eric gives the opening sermon, then Lucy takes over and gives her sermon of the day.

Annie and Eric manage to get Ruthie to come with us. She doesn't argue too much, but is sullen. As Lucy gives her sermon, which is on the state of the American family today, Ruthie mutters under her breath, "Yeah, like take a look at the state the family princess put our family in…"

When Lucy touches upon outside influences undermining families, she adds, "…so when your mother-in-law…or even _EX_ mother-in-law wants to intrude on your family circle…when she has her set ideas on what family is and uses this as her weapon and wants to butter up your children and play grandma in their lives…where do you do from here…where do we draw the line?"

"And where do we do when we get creeps like Martin butting into our family?" Ruthie mumbles, giving me a dirty look.

"Shut up," I snap in a whisper at her.

"And the jerk is rude enough to tell everyone me to shut up when I say something he doesn't want to hear?" Ruthie keeps it up in a low voice. She glares at me, then at Lucy. "Not to mention having a spoiled princess in the family being _GIVEN_ the preacher job because she's daddy's girl…"

Lucy hears because she glares over in our direction. I hiss, _shhhh_ In Ruthie's direction.

"No, I won't _shhhh_," Ruthie spits at me.

"Both of you, just shut up," Sam whispers. He smirks as he leans over. "And can you drama junkies stop your carrying on for two minutes at least on _KEEEEER_. _AIIIIIIIIISSSSSST_…msssssssss?"

"Gross, Sam…" I try to keep it down, but I can't help being disgusted because Sam spits all over me.

"SHHHHH!" Annie glowers at Sam and Ruthie, then reaches over Rick and pulls Sam back into his place. Rick was released from the hospital on Saturday. Thank God he seems to over that whooping cough, so he's been quiet.

Sam and David giggle. Lucy gives the twins a filthy look as she closes her sermon.

"So these are the socialist forces we're battling with," Lucy says. "And it can be even in your own back yard…even a brother negatively poisoned by the culture can turn against us…the devil's out there…and laughing, but we can still fight against the evil out there."

"Great sermon!" Eric crows as people get ready to leave after the service and Lucy steps down, beaming to accept a kiss from her dad. I kiss her also.

"Excellent points," I say. "So true, especially for us lately."

"Too true," Annie says. "What with Simon and Lilly…not to mention Karen Kinkirk…and Simon just left…I called him, but he didn't pick up…I think he's avoiding me…I left him a message, but he never returned it…he just left for New York without even a word to me…no explanation, no nothing…my own son treats me like this…" she's starting to get worked up.

I want to tell her that Simon's just not worth it. But I can't tell her that, so I settle for, "He doesn't treat me much better, Annie, so don't take it personally…it's problems _he _has; you did the best you could." I pat her shoulder.

It works because Annie calms down. She even says, "Well, it's almost lunch…I have pot roast at home…and I'll make a salad…maybe if it's still nice out, we can eat on the back patio."

"Good idea," I say.

It's been in the low sixties all weekend. I'm glad it hasn't gotten really cold this winter yet. Once of the nicest things about Glen Oak is that often it's nice enough, warm enough to eat outdoors, even in December and January.

We arrive home only to see another mess in the yard. Annie lets out a little scream.

"What the heck?" I exclaim.

This time, since the twits were with us, for a change, they didn't create this mess.

"Who…?" Eric demands as he parks.

We get out and look over all the piles of things dumped unceremoniously in the yard. I'm shocked to realize that it's _MY_ things from Dad's place!

"Who had a fight this time?" Sam asks. He picks up a CD player, _MY_ CD player and swings it a little.

"No one, you twit!" I snap, snatching it away from him. "Get off my things!"

"This is yours?" Eric asks me.

It is. My clothes are in an incredible heap in front of the porch; my stereo is lying on the grass with the wires all over the place; my TV is on its back almost on top of the garden.

Piles of boxes litter the front walk and grass. In those boxes are all my little knick knacks and even my baseball cards tossed in carelessly.

"Well, this is so cute of my dad," I snarl. "Real cute."

"Your dad did all this?" Lucy asks.

"Who else?" I ask. "All the rest of us were at church; Simon's in New York…maybe that Kinkirk woman helped my dad since those two seem to be in cahoots."

"It looks like your father sold his house and wanted to move out," Eric sighs. "Come on, everyone, let's get this stuff inside before the neighbors think the boys were alone again."

"I'm not touching any of that jerk's junk!" Ruthie runs into the house and slams the door.

"Why do we have to haul Mart's crap inside when we didn't do anything this time?" David complains.

"Because Martin is part of our family and all of us pitch in," Eric tells him. "So get going and help me with these small boxes."

It takes an hour and a half, but finally we get all my stuff hauled inside. We manage even move most of it into the guest bedroom, although it's still in a big jumble. This does not help my mood, not to mention that I'm starving.

"I'm giving that man a piece of my mind," Annie snarls. "I'm so sorry he pulled this on you, Martin, on top of everything else…"

She puts the pot roast on, then tries to call Dad, but doesn't get through…his phone is disconnected.

Heaving a gusty sigh, she hangs up and we head out to the backyard to eat. After lunch, Lucy and I go to my room and start to sort out my stuff.

Eric hauls an extra dresser to the room, so I can fold and put my clothes away. Annie brings over more hangers for my shirts.

I also try twice to reach Dad on his cell, but he doesn't pick up. The second time I leave a message telling him off, leaving an especially sarcastic thanks for dumping my stuff in that mess in the yard like so much garbage.

I thank him for his sneaky little game and his backstabbing. I finish the message with, "Have a nice time in your condo since I'm out of your hair…and a nice life."

"Did he pick up?" Lucy asks as she hangs the last of my shirts up.

I snort. "No…he'll never pick up; he's too much of a coward."

"Just like Simon," Lucy adds.

"Yeah…no wonder those two are in cahoots…they deserve each other."

Thanks to Lucy's help, I get everything in place by late afternoon. That gives me time to make a trip over to Dad's. If Dad's hiding from me, then I'll go over and let him have it face to face. I'll see if he comes out into the yard to do his yard work like he does almost every Sunday and I'll confront him about his cowardice then.

He's not in the yard when I drive up, however. Parked down the street, I wait for almost an hour. By then the sun is setting and it's getting ready to grow dark.

Heaving a disgusted sigh, I get out of my car and come to the house, getting out my key. Good thing I still have it. But when I try to put it into the lock, it doesn't fit. I try the double lock, but have even worse luck; not even the tip of my key fits.

It's then when I notice that the double lock looks different…before, it was square and the knob was dark gold, but now I see the knob is metallic blue and around it is an oval. The first knob is a bit longer and the keyhole has one curve instead of two.

"Ohhhhhhh, CRRRRAAAAAAAAP!" I scream in frustration.

So Dad's changed the locks. Nice. Going down the stairs and using a bush, I climb up and peer into the living room. Empty. Even the furniture is completely gone now. No table in the adjoining dining room. Nothing.

It's growing dark by then and I climb off the bush. Stepping back, I see that the house is completely dark.

I also see the _For Sale _sign in the front yard that I hadn't seen before. It looks like Dad's actually moved into that condo he was so hot to get. I hope he's pleased with himself.

He doesn't even give me any say on a house that I grew up in; just sells it without consulting me, and tosses my stuff out like trash, I fume as I drive back to the Camden home.

Well, frig him…I'm through with Beau Brewer. I decide not to even think of him as Dad anymore. Eric is more my dad than Beau ever was.

At least Annie and Eric would have consulted me if they ever were moving when I'm there. They certainly treat me with more respect than Beau ever did.

I arrive back at the Camden house in time for dinner. And as usual, Annie has a delicious dinner waiting for me. I'm really beginning to think of the Camden house as my home now and the Camdens as my true family.

"He's moved out," I tell everyone as we sit down to eat. "My own father just sold the house I grew up in without asking me and got his condo."

"But you're gonna marry Mommy anyway," Savannah says. "You won't need to live with your daddy anymore."

"Oh, that's too bad," Annie says. "The least he should have done is consulted you and given you a chance to pack."

"You did get a chance to pack," Sam says through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "He just made it easier for you by bringing it all here and dumping it in our yard, so you could pick up your own mess."

Just then, the kitchen phone rings. Annie goes to pick up.

"Yeah, he's here…" Annie says in a not-too-pleased tone. "Thank you, Mr. Brewer, for the absolute _MESS_ you made of our yard! I'm…_WELCOME_? _I'M WELCOME?_" Her voice rises to an angry screech.

"Is that supposed to be your idea of a sick joke?" she barrels on. "Oh, you changed the locks on your house, huh? So, this is your way of moving Martin out of your house…well, gee, mister, your own son is such an inconvenience to you, since you can't wait to…no, I _KNOW_ how to be a parent, sir!"

I hear Dad's voice yammering away, but can't make out the actual words.

"Martin took care of the business with Sandy and her spawn back then…he did!" Annie tells him. "Well, he married her, didn't he? Well, he's taken on a lot more responsibility here with us…well, enjoy your condo since you were so eager to kick your own son out to get it…he was still your son, you still had…no don't dare criticize me as a mother! Let me tell you something, buster, I've…hey, did you hang up? HEY!"

Annie bangs down the phone. "Your father hung up on me," she tells me.

"I'm not surprised," I say. "I'm through with that guy. You know he helped me lose custody of my own boys."

"I can imagine," Annie says as we get ready to sit to eat. "That man has no sense of family loyalty."

"Just like Simon and that Kinkirk woman," Lucy puts in. "People like that will stab their own family in the back."

* * *

It's later when Lucy, Eric, and I are in Eric's study organizing Savannah and the twins' school work for next week when Mrs. Kinkirk calls. Annie answers and I hear her voice rise a bit in the kitchen, although I can't make out the words.

Minutes later, Annie comes into the study, her breath heaving. "That Kinkirk woman has more allies in her little army besides Simon…Mac's mother."

"Whaaa?" Lucy and I exclaim.

"Mrs. Alison surely can't take our kids either, can she?" Eric stands.

"She's petitioning for custody of Kaylee," Annie announces. "As Kaylee's grandmother, Mrs. Kinkirk says she has that right…so we'll be served with even more court papers." Annie barks out a short, bitter laugh. "'Tis the season for interfering in-laws dragging us to court."

"Well, which of us is going to let Ruthie know?" I ask. "And it won't be me," I say when Annie looks in my direction. "The less I have anything to do with her, the better for all of us."

"I will," Eric runs a hand through his hair. "And Annie, since you and I are the grandparents who've been here for Kaylee, we'll be the ones to face Mrs. Alison in court and fight to keep our granddaughter."

* * *

Monday, Annie and Eric attend Sam's hearing while Lucy and I hold down the forte at home. Ruthie goes with her parents also since she is the one who left the twins to wreck the house. The twins have to go also, thank God.

Lucy hands Savannah her worksheets for the week and sits her on the dining room table to work on them. "Are Sam and David going to jail?" she asks.

"No, they're not," Lucy tells her. "The most they'll have to do is some extra work around town…picking up trash, stuff like that."

"I miss Uncle Simon…but I'm glad he's in New York so Sam and David can't hurt him anymore."

I laugh a bit. "When did the twins ever hurt Simon?" I ask. Even though the twins are horrible brats, I don't think Simon fled to New York City solely because of the twins.

"Lots of times," Savannah says. "They said mean things to him and sometimes made him cry…I 'member once last summer…then at the Labor Day party we had, Sam said something mean about Uncle Simon's nose and Uncle Simon turned all red, then left."

"Well, that's over with now, so get on with your work for today," Lucy says. "I want to see it when it's finished…and neatly also."

I'm glad I don't have to go to court again, so Lucy and I almost have the house to ourselves. Kaylee's upstairs sleeping. I hope she doesn't wake up and come down crying and disturbing us.

"Savannah has to start going to the public school January third," Lucy tells me as we cuddle on the living room couch.

"That stinks," I say.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Lucy grumbles. "Oh, and I have to have her and Rick inoculated by then also…they're forcing me to let my own kids have these chemicals injected into their bodies…supposedly against all these illnesses like whooping cough, polio, and this other thing called dipleeria or whatever."

"Well, Rick had his whooping cough and survived it," I say. "Don't those people watch

TV and pay attention to what they say on there about those vaccines? Especially where some of those chemicals they put in the vaccines give the kids autism and retardation?"

"They don't care even if they did know," Lucy curls her lip in disdain. "I guess they'd rather have kids brain-damaged for life with augism or whatever than have their bodies pure with nothing more than an occasional cough or disseria…whatever that is…when I asked one of those school officials what disteria or whatever was, the lady just looked at me as if I was totally stupid."

"What condescending snots," I snarl.

"It's amazing how they like the play know-it-all with kids, but they really don't know a thing about our kids…they think they can size us all up just by a few short little visits and questions."

"Yeah…but we've raised the kids ourselves and have known them since birth," I say. "So as their own parents, it just defies all logic that they assume parents don't know anything about their own kids."

We kiss for a while, then go over some plans for our wedding. "I just hope Mom doesn't keep pushing for us to have our wedding in February…I want us to have time to plan for a big wedding…and have it in Hawaii…I hope Mom doesn't talk Dad out of giving me a Hawaii wedding…"

"I think Eric'll come through for us…he knows how to deal with your mom," I reassure her. For the most part, Eric doesn't let Annie push him around. "And since they both love you…both of us, they'll both see how much a June Hawaii wedding means to both of us."

"I think Dad backs me up on no gifts for Christmas," Lucy says. "And since we won't waste money on silly trees or all that tinsel nonsense, that'll be all the more money for our wedding."

* * *

Eric, Annie, the twins, and Ruthie come back late in the afternoon. Ruthie and Sam are yelling at each other.

"…_YOUR_ fault, so you deserve to spend the next _YEAR_ picking up trash from the streets!" Ruthie's shrieking.

"Well, you shouldn't have gone out doing _IT_ with Martin!" Sam yells back. "Then Savannah wouldn't have gone and called Simon and told him they were 'all alone!' And thanks to you, I got the shaft…"

"I got it too, Sam, so stop complaining!" David puts in.

"_YOU_ only got three months of that 'community service' crap, but I got _SIX_…the judge acted like it was all my fault!" Sam snaps.

I stifle a laugh. Sam's face is red and he's furious. For once, he doesn't get his way. It serves both of those twin brats right. Ruthie should have gotten into trouble too, but I guess she didn't.

"The three of you…" Eric booms. "Go up to your rooms and close the doors."

"Why should I have to…" Ruthie starts.

But Eric points upstairs, giving her a stern look. The three of them go, but very sulkily and with heavy foot-stomping. Two slams of doors. Upstairs, I hear the twins resume their yelling match, but at least now, it's muffled.

A few minutes later, the phone rings and since I'm closest, I get it. I don't stop to look at the caller ID, but I know I should have, because it's none other than that Kinkirk woman on the line.

"Hello, Martin," she says as if everything's fine, that she hasn't done enough to try to destroy this family.

"Hey…" I say, not wanting to be dragged into a screaming match with her since I've had enough of those lately, but also wanting to let her know that I'm not too happy with her either.

"Is Ruthie home?" she asks.

"Yes…" I say, wondering why she wants to talk to Ruthie. "She just got back from Sam's hearing…which by the way, he got six months of that community service for the mess he made of this house."

"Very good," Mrs. Kinkirk says. "It's time he deals with the consequences of his behavior…you may want to tell Ruthie to stay right there for now…Mrs. Alison is with me and we will be there in a few minutes…"

"Wait, you can't…!" I start to protest, but she hangs up on me.

I go into the living room, where Annie, Eric, and Lucy are. "Guess what…we're having company shortly…that Kinkirk woman and Mac's mother have invited themselves over to our house."

"WHAT THE…?" Lucy starts to shriek. She jumps up, goes to the foot of the stairs and screams Ruthie's name.

"Whaaat?" Ruthie finally answers churlishly after Lucy screams her name about a dozen times.

"Get your pathetic, useless butt down here!" Lucy yells. "Your ex-boyfriend's mother is on the way about your spawn and you better be ready to face her because we're not going to cover for your irresponsible nonsense this time!"

"Stop calling me all these names!" Ruthie shrieks. "I am not useless or pathetic, you are!"

The doorbell rings just then. "It's them," I announce once I see them standing outside. Thank God Simon has moved to New York, so that's one less of them to face. But maybe Simon commissioned Mac's mother to take his place in dissembling this family.

Eric joins Lucy at the foot of the stairs. "Ruthie Camden, get yourself down here and deal with your ex-boyfriend's mother…and move it!"

We have no other option but to let Kinkirk and Mac's mother in since I know they'll stand there all night and probably attract the neighbors' attention again.

Ruthie slowly comes on down as Annie opens the door.

"Hello, come in," Annie smiles a very plastic, phony grin. "Good to see you again, Mrs. Kinkirk…and you're Mrs. Alison?"

"I am," Mrs. Alison says and takes Annie's hand and shakes it as if they're dear friends or something. Mac's mother is rather small, but compact with square-ish glasses and medium-brown hair with silvery-gray edges.

Kaylee toddles down after Ruthie. Savannah edges over to the door and peers into the living room.

"Just so you know, Mrs. Alison, I'm not happy about you coming here," Ruthie announces. "Why did you call this woman, Mrs. Kinkirk? I've had enough of Mac for a lifetime, so why did you get that creep's mother involved in my life?"

Mrs. Kinkirk stares her down. "It was actually some of the neighbors who are concerned who informed Mrs. Elizabeth Alison of the trouble in this house and that Kaylee is in a possibly dysfunctional environment."

"Was one of these 'neighbors' by chance Simon?" Lucy snarks.

Mrs. Kinkirk and Alison look at each other, then say simultaneously, "No."

"Savannah didn't go calling you again, did she?" I demand.

"No," Mrs. Alison says. Then she smiles down at Kaylee. "Hello, darling…" she stoops down and holds her arms out. Kaylee eyes her a minute. Mrs. Alison keeps cooing as if she's some adorable pet and Kaylee is won over and toddles over to her, doll and all.

"Hi, dear," Mrs. Alison kisses her all over and hugs her.

Kaylee snuggles into her. Mrs. Alison actually sits right on the floor and takes Kaylee into her lap as if she's her mother. It's actually more than Ruthie has ever done. Never have I seen Ruthie ever hold her own daughter in her lap or so much as kiss her.

"Uuugh…" Ruthie rolls her eyes and mutters.

"Are you her grandma…her other grandma?" Savannah asks, coming into the living room.

"Yes, darling, I am," Mrs. Alison smiles up at her. "And what's your name, sweetheart?"

"Savannah Kinkirk."

"Lucy and Kevin's daughter, I see," Mrs. Alison nods.

Lucy gives Mrs. Alison and Savannah a nasty look, but Mrs. Kinkirk is smiling down at them, then she reaches out and hugs Savannah.

"Hii, love," Mrs. Kinkirk purrs. "How's my granddaughter been?"

"Okay…I'm going to school in January…did you know Uncle Simon moved to New York City?"

"Yes, I did," Mrs. Kinkirk tells her as she comes over to the living room couch and sits Savannah besides her. "He sends you all his love and hopes you have a wonderful time in school."

"You've been talking to Simon?" Annie exclaims. "Just what things has Simon been telling you?"

By then, the others are back in the living room and are sitting. Mrs. Alison has Kaylee in her arms and joins us, sitting on the end chair. Kaylee's actually smiling, the first I've ever seen.

Mrs. Kinkirk tells us, "Just that he's been very worried about all of you, but especially the kids…is Rick around? I'd like to see my grandson also."

"I just put him down to sleep," Lucy snaps, but upstairs a wailing gives away Lucy's little lie.

"I guess he's not asleep after all," Mrs. Kinkirk observes dryly. Mrs. Alison smiles at her as if she's enjoying this. "And I am sure he'd like to see his other grandma."

Ruthie smirks at Lucy.

Lucy has no other option but to bring her son down. Rick's face is scrunched up as he bawls.

"Hello, my darling," Mrs. Kinkirk holds out her arms.

Lucy's basically forced to let Kevin's mother hold him. Why did this Kinkirk lady have to be the mother of Lucy's ex-husband? Is she never going to butt out until she's completely destroyed this family? Is her next step along with Mac's mother going to be to turn all the neighbors against us as well?

Rick slowly stops squalling and like Kaylee, actually snuggles in Mrs. Kinkirk's arms, letting out a little belch and a sigh that sounds happy.

"Can Rick and me spend Christmas with you, Grandma?" Savannah asks Mrs. Kinkirk. "An' can Mss. Alson spend it with us too…we can call Uncle Simon in New York on Christmas and tell him Merry Christmas…"

Ruthie laughs and Lucy glares at her.

Annie gasps and Lucy starts to say, "No, you cannot…!" but Mrs. Kinkirk cuts in. "There's no reason we can't all spend it together…I could have all of you at my hotel room for Christmas Day…and Elizabeth…Kaylee, you'd be welcome also…or we can gather here at this house and have dinner and gifts."

"We're not having gifts this year," I say, hoping to set the record straight with these two before they get the kids all excited about getting all these toys.

"No, not even the kids?" Mrs. Alison asks. "I guess for the adults, I can understand, but what about the children? Surely, you'll have toys for them for that special day?"

"No, we won't," Lucy snips. "The kids have gotten too materialistic…even my own twin brothers were demanding all these toys…remember, Dad? Sam got all mad when I tried to tell him that Christmas was not about gimmee this and gimmee that?"

"Yes," Eric nods. "We really want to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive, which is honoring the birth of Christ…we plan to go to church that day."

"And because Mommy and Martin want this big wedding, which is gonna be real 'spensive," Savannah puts in. "It's someplace a zillion miles away, this place called Aawwwaaa or something."

"Savannah!" Lucy warns.

"But it's true…Sam says it…and I heard you and Martin talk about Awaawaaa all the time…"

"It's HAA-WWWaiii, Savannah and it's not that far away…only a few hundred miles away," Lucy sighs. "And that's not why we're skipping gifts this year…it's because this holiday is about Jesus' birth, which I've taught you about…not about getting toys."

"Nor is it about worshipping Lucy and Martin," Ruthie butts in as if this is any of her business.

"Ruthie, just shut up!" I can't help snapping.

"No, I won't shut up, you horrid pig!" Ruthie yells. "Did Mrs. Kinkirk tell you, Mrs. Alison about the baby I lost?" she barrels on before anyone can shut her up. "That baby was Martin's baby…he basically used me, then dumped me, especially when Lucy butted in and charmed Martin away from me."

"Ruthie.." Eric starts, but Mrs. Alison interrupts.

"No, I'd like to hear what Ruthie has to say…" Mrs. Alison says quietly. Annie glares at her, but Mrs. Alison just looks back her a minute, almost as if she pities Annie, then back at Ruthie. "I heard about your baby and I am very sorry about your loss…did you and Martin have a relationship before the one he has with Lucy now?"

"No…!" I start, but she says, "Yes!" at the same time.

"I really loved Martin," Ruthie complains. "But he was only using me to leave his wife, Sandy, who he was miserable with…he also wanted to move in here and mooch off Mom and Dad, who pamper him…"

"Ruthie!" Annie starts, but Mrs. Kinkirk holds up a silencing hand.

Annie puts up a hand in an attempt to imitate the gesture, but ends up waving it impatiently, then pulling it down. Mrs. Kinkirk stares at Annie a minute, then turns back to Mrs. Alison and Ruthie. She also reaches over and strokes Savannah and Rick from time to time.

"I didn't have many friends in high school…so for years, Martin jerked me around, leading me on, then would dump me…then he got Sandy pregnant and had to marry her…he never loved her either…he left me high and dry…" Ruthie complains. "My last two years of high school were completely miserable because of Martin and Sandy…I had no friends by then because your son Mac had dumped me."

"I am sorry my son didn't stay with you, Ruthie," Mrs. Alison says.

"Yeah…and in college, he had sex with me and made me believe he loved me…then when I got pregnant, he dumped me again…why didn't you make him marry me?"

"I couldn't make Mac do anything he didn't want to do," Mrs. Alison says. "He was a grown man…but he was not ready for the responsibilities of fatherhood and being a husband…and I wonder if you truly are ready for the responsibilities of motherhood?"

"I second that one," Lucy adds. "Ruthie's a terrible mother and never does anything with her own daughter except when Mom orders her to…so Mom, Dad, and I end up doing most of the work with Kaylee."

"Mind your business…" Ruthie starts, but Lucy barrels on.

"It _IS_ my business if I'm doing all the work taking care of _YOUR_ daughter! Mom and Dad have their hands full with the boys, who are the ones who messed up the house and I'm busy with Savannah and Rick, but you won't do a thing to take care of Kaylee…you never wanted her in the first place…you just wanted your spawn to use to try to trap Mac into marrying you and you know it!"

Kaylee whimpers and burrows into Mrs. Alison's arms. Savannah's and Rick's eyes are wide as they lean close to Mrs. Kinkirk.

"I loved Mac…" Ruthie's crying. "Don't you judge me, Lucy Kinkirk, when you rope Mom and Dad into doing most of your dirty work too!"

Ruthie stands and faces Mrs. Alison. "I always get blamed for crap that Martin and Lucy pull…go ahead and have Kaylee…Mom and Dad forced me to have her anyway, to punish me…"

"In that case…" Mrs. Alison leans over and pulls a paper out of her purse.

"What is that?" Eric comes over.

"A relinquishment of custody and parental rights," Mrs. Alison says. "It's truly in Kaylee's as well as Ruthie's best interest…we can avoid an unpleasant court battle."

"Not with our granddaughter…!" Annie splutters, coming over.

Mrs. Kinkirk looks over at them, then at Mrs. Alison. "Much as we'd like to avoid more court battles, if you go against your own daughter here, you'd leave all of us with no other option…Reverend Camden, can you afford more court fees…and Ruthie, with your recent miscarriage, are you up to court appearances?"

Ruthie, Annie, Eric, Lucy, and I look at each other helplessly. We really can't…despite our skipping the Christmas circus of gifts and decorations and all, we're still low on cash.

"And do you really want to subject your granddaughter…to a lengthy court battle over this Christmas season?" Mrs. Alison says. "I can provide a peaceful home for her…and you could come for visits….it would be more peaceful…think about little Kaylee here…" she strokes Kaylee, who is looking around with large frightened green eyes.

Her dark curls tumble all over the place. She shrinks back into Mrs. Alison's arms. She's even trembling a bit.

"We'd better go," Mrs. Kinkirk says. "Ruthie? The ball is in your court right now…do we go to court…or do you want to give your daughter a chance at a more stable, peaceful life?"

"It's in our…" Eric starts, but Mrs. Kinkirk holds up her hand.

"As her grandparents, we will deal with you and Annie separately," she tells him.

"Good…maybe you and Mom can stop blaming me for Kaylee's crap and stop using my one deal of premarital sex against me," Ruthie says.

She takes the pen Mrs. Alison offers her and signs the papers basically giving away her own daughter. Mrs. Alison tucks it into her purse, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

"You know, Ruthie, you can see her for visitations," Mrs. Alison tells her as she and Mrs. Kinkirk get ready to leave.

"I really don't want to see her again," Ruthie snaps. "She really was nothing but a crying mess of trouble…so goodbye." Ruthie darts out of the living room and upstairs, where she slams her door.

"Unbelievable…" I say. I guess I should be surprised that Ruthie just dumped off her own daughter so easily, but maybe it's for the best.

"We'll work out something for Christmas," Mrs. Kinkirk tells Savannah in a low voice. She hands Rick back over to a fuming, red-faced Lucy. "And I will be seeing all of you for the holidays…especially my dear grandchildren."

"Can I say bye to Kaylee?" Savannah asks.

"Sure, darling," Mrs. Alison smiles at her. "And thank you, dear, for keeping my granddaughter safe that night and for having the courage to call your uncle for help that night. You and your uncle both did the right thing…both of you are brave."

I almost gag.

Savannah whispers things I can't hear to Kaylee. Kaylee murmurs something in return and Savannah kisses her.

"Some day, sweetheart, I'll see if I can bring you up to Oregon to see her…and in the mean time, I'll keep in touch…bye for now." Mrs. Alison tells Savannah.

"'Kay…bye…" Savannah waves as they go.

Once they go, Rick starts crying again. Lucy takes him upstairs. Annie bangs around in the kitchen, making dinner. I help.

"I just can't believe Ruthie…no maternal instinct," Annie complains. "Just sign away her own daughter…our granddaughter."

"Yeah…never once did I ever see her really take care of Kaylee," I agree. "But if it'll get them off our backs…"

Dinner is a rather grim affair…Sam and David keep cracking stupid jokes about Lucy and my wedding and about Ruthie's giving Kaylee away. Ruthie moans that she's not feeling well and goes upstairs, leaving her dinner right on the table for one of us to clean up.

"Always we have to clean up her crap," Lucy complains. "We need to teach her that she doesn't have free maids!"

"What about all of us paying for your wedding, Luce?" Sam butts in.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy demands. "Dad's the one paying, not you or any of the others!"

"Yeah, we are," Sam keeps it up. "Instead of our gifts, the money for our gifts are being used to pay for the royal wedding you want."

"Not that again, Sam!" Lucy snaps. "Not everything is about you and what you want! When are you going to get that through your thick skull? It's the CHRIST…"

"We know, we know…" Sam snorts. "KEEEEEER. IIIIIIIIIEIEIEIIIISSSSST…."

"Sam…Lucy, that's quite enough," Annie tells them.

"Mom, it's Sam's…"

"Enough!" Annie yells. "It's been a long day." She gets up and she and I start to clear the plates. "Sam, I want you to go upstairs and start working on those math sheets…you too, David."

"Do I haaaaftaaa…?" David moans.

Annie snaps her fingers in his face and points. He sullenly goes.

"When does their community service start?" I ask Annie in a low voice.

"The week after Christmas…that Tuesday they have to report to the community center and clean up parks on week afternoons."

Lucy, Eric, Annie and I clean up and load up the dishwasher on top of cleaning up the mess that Ruthie and the boys made.

I lift my lip in disgust as I see the rice and meat sauce Sam has spilled all over the place. He's even dropped sauce on the floor. What a pig, I think in disgust as Annie wipes it all up. You'd think by ten, he's learned to eat decently.

As Eric starts the dishwasher, Savannah darts into the kitchen, her eyes wide in fright, and her face pale.

"Ruthie's bleeding!" she wails.

"What?" Lucy demands.

"She's bleeding," Savannah's eyes fill with tears.

"Where?" Eric asks. "Did she cut herself?"

"N-no…" Savannah wipes her eyes, but starts to cry anyway. "She's lying on the floor…th-there's b-blood c-coming out of her around her legs…and she's moaning…please help her…"

"Okay, Savannah, just calm down…Grandpa will go get her and see…"

Oh, crap, I think as we rush upstairs.

"What is…?" Annie starts, but then gasps. "Oh, my…"

Ruthie's on the floor with blood coming out from between her legs once again. It's not as heavy as with her miscarriage, but it's still gruesome. I have to step away and stifle a gag.

"She needs to go to the hospital," Eric says. "Let me get my keys…"

"No, we need to call nine-one-one!" Annie shrieks. "We don't know what's…!"

_A/N_: How's that for a cliffhanger? Hope you all enjoyed and I hope I can get 23 up soon!


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N_: Hi, thanks for the great reviews…been busy, but I am glad I had a bit of free time for this chapter…hope everyone had a happy Passover/Easter or whatever spring holiday they celebrate...the usual disclaimers and upward and onward with the drama from the Martin/Lucy/Ruthie/Sam/David/Annie/Eric zoo…enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**23**

There's another zoo of the usual Camden drama with Eric scurrying around hunting for his keys. Annie calls nine-one-one anyway and within five minutes the ambulance is outside our house.

Ruthie doesn't stop her moaning the whole time. Savannah starts to whisper something to her, but Ruthie waves her away. Lucy pulls Savannah away and orders her to her room.

Once the paramedics knock, Lucy runs down to let them in. Eric comes down with his key, but it's too late. The paramedics rush upstairs with the stretcher, load Ruthie on and carry her back down. The static and blare of cells punctuate the house.

"What's going on with her?" Annie demands.

"We're not sure, ma'am, but it looks like some type of infection…" the paramedic, a fat lady with long black hair tells her. "It would be best if one of you came in the ambulance with Ms. Camden while the rest of you follow in a car…her doctor will look her over and tell you more…"

"I'll go…" Eric nods and follows the paramedics out to the flashing ambulance.

I'm rapidly growing tired of seeing flashing lights. This is the second ambulance incident that Ruthie causes that I've had to witness.

As the ambulance races off, sirens wailing, I can see a couple across the street peering out of their windows. In another house, a door opens and another figure, a skinny tall shape with a neck almost like a giraffe's neck is silhouetted in the light from inside.

I can't tell if this person is a man or woman, but I can see he or she is staring after the ambulance also. Great, just what this family needs…another show for our neighbors to enjoy.

* * *

Lucy and I go to bed early that night, but Annie remains in the living room, staring out the window. I don't think she really sleeps that night. Eric's gone all night and doesn't return until the late morning on Tuesday.

By then, Lucy and I have long had breakfast. We try to get Annie to eat something, but she just drinks coffee and nibbles at toast.

Lucy sets Savannah up in the kitchen with her reading book for the day. I start to get the twins to settle down in the dining room with the history essays on the first settlers of America that Eric assigned for them to write, but they brush me off.

"Hey…boys…" I quickly retrieve the assignment sheet from Eric's study and a pack of paper. They're heading toward the living room.

"Whaaaaat?" Sam snarls rudely. David snickers and rolls his eyes.

"It's time for studying, you two, not playing," I order. "Your father says for you to work on this today."

"What are you, his little yes-man?" Sam flips the TV on much to my annoyance.

He and David flop down on the couch to watch some stupid talk show. For a minute, I stare at them in disbelief.

Finally, I go over, stand in front of the TV and growl, "_NOW_, dummies…get going!"

"_YOU_ get going!" Sam snaps back. "Get your butt out of our way…you're not in charge of us, you ugly, bug-eyed, small-headed twit!"

David leans behind the couch, grabs a football and hurls it at me. I duck out of the way just in time to avoid it hitting my nose. It bounces off a shelf and knocks over a vase, which cracks in half.

"You horrid…" I'm furious and start toward those oversized roaches, but Sam reaches into his pocket and something cold and slimy hits my face.

"AAAAAAACKKKK!" I can't help bellowing.

The twins laugh their heads off. I stumble toward the bathroom, trying to wipe the mess off my face and hair, which I realize is raw egg. Very cute! I fume.

It takes nearly a half hour to wash the mess off. By then, my shirt is a soaking wet mess as well as my hair. It's awkward trying to clean yourself and this big a mess off in a tiny sink.

I would go to the kitchen, but I don't want Lucy, let alone Savannah to see me like this. There's no comb here, so my hair's all over the place. Ugh, I think once I see myself in the mirror. My hair's not only a huge tangled mess, but my face is blotchy red and my shirt is a sopping mess.

I decide to go upstairs and change my shirt. I'm actually panting in fury by the time I get upstairs. In the hall, Annie sees me with my wet shirt. "Martin…what happened?" she gasps.

"The twins' masterpiece," I complain.

"Sam and David…?" Annie queries, her eyes widening. "How did they…?"

"An egg," I tell her. "Sam threw an _EGG_ right at my face!"

"Oh, no…" Annie says. "Martin, I'm so sorry about those boys…I'll have Eric deal with Sam after he gets home."

"Yeah…right now, the boys are vegging out on front of the TV instead of studying." I continue to the bathroom and with a proper comb, run it through my hair.

There's still a little yolk in it, much to my disgust, so I have to wash it out with shampoo. I'm relieved to hear Annie yelling at the twins downstairs. I hear Sam have the nerve to say something rude back to her, I can't make out what, but Annie yells again.

Smiling, I head to my room and fetch a clean shirt. I have to change my pants also since they are also a bit wet. As I am dropping the wet things into the hallway hamper, Eric comes home.

"Eric…what happened with Ruthie?" Annie calls.

I come down. I really don't give a flying crap about Ruthie or her female issues at this point, but I am curious and also hope that whatever is going on with her this time isn't going to sidetrack Lucy and me from our wedding plans. I am growing sick of Ruthie claiming this family's attention with this way she has of having one little crisis after another and another.

"Yeah, did Ruthie miscarry twins this time?" Sam chortles. He glances at me. "How many times did you do it with her anyway, Mart?"

"Shhhhhuddup!" I hiss.

"Sam…" Eric warns sternly. "Ruthie…had to have a hysterectomy…an emergency hysterectomy due to an infection."

"Oh…gosh!" Annie gasps. She looks ready to faint. I touch her arm lightly.

"What's that?" Sam asks.

"It's when a woman's womb is removed," Lucy tells him. "So, Dad…is it from her miscarriage…wasn't she taking antibiotics…?"

"She was supposed to have been…" Eric sighs and runs a hand through his thin hair. "But it seems as if the germs flared again…she'll be in the hospital for a few more days…"

"Well, she can't get pregnant again," Lucy mutters mostly to me.

I suspect she's relieved. So am I for that matter. Now Ruthie can't ever try to trap me again with any pregnancy scheme.

"Barely in her twenties," Annie groans. "All her chances for motherhood are gone…my own daughter did this…"

"Yes, it's tragic," Eric goes over and puts an arm around Annie, who leans into him.

"What happened to Aunt Ruthie?" Savannah has come into the living room. "Is she okay?"

"Yes, sweetie, she'll be fine," Eric tells her quickly. "It was just a small infection that the doctor cleared up…she'll be back in a few days."

Savannah peers at her grandfather a minute. "Why was she bleeding and all pale last night? It was scary."

"Yes, it was, but it's over now," Lucy tells her, guiding her back to the kitchen. "She's not bleeding anymore and she'll be fine…so let's get back to your reading."

"Wow…" I mutter. "She really has done a number on herself this time."

* * *

Ruthie spends most of the week in the hospital. Eric and Annie take turns going over to visit. Savannah asks if she can go visit her, but Lucy puts her foot down and says no.

"What'll we tell Uncle Simon about Aunt Ruthie when he calls?" Savannah asks the night before Ruthie comes home. We're eating dinner. "He'll be worried…"

"We won't tell Simon anything," Lucy says curtly. "The rat hasn't even had the decency to call us since he moved, so he doesn't deserve to know anything about us anymore!"

"Everyone…" Eric looks around the table. He waves to get the twins attention and stop their silly giggling. "Let's make an agreement here…we won't volunteer any information, but if anyone asks…even Simon…or Mrs. Kinkirk, or Lilly…anyone…we'll just be vague and say it's 'female problems'…okay, everyone?"

"Yeah." "Sure." Annie, Lucy, and I are quick to agree.

"Why are Aunt Ruthie's problems female?" Savannah asks. "I thought it was a health problem she has because of her mit-erradd and 'cause her baby died in her…"

I roll my eyes at the stupidity of her question.

"It was a female problem," Eric tells her. "Since only women have uteruses and those uteruses can become infected…that's what happened to your aunt…but since she doesn't want it discussed, we won't talk about it with anyone…not even your uncle or other grandmother."

"Can we tell Uncle Simon that Aunt Ruthie's sick then, so he can call her or send her a get-well card?" Savannah persists.

I snort a laugh. Simon and Ruthie are not even civil with each other these days, so I highly doubt Simon really gives a crap about Ruthie now.

I can just imagine the vile tongue-lashing than spewed out of her nasty mouth toward Simon that left him in tears when he visited. Even somebody as mentally messed up as Simon wouldn't subject himself to more of Ruthie's venom if he can help it.

"I'll…mention it to your uncle," Eric says quickly, mostly to shut her up. "But with everyone else, we'll just say it's 'female problems'…got it, everyone?" He looks meaningfully at the twins.

"Yeah…" the twins mutter after a long minute.

"Good…we don't need the neighbors gossiping about this family any more than they already have," Eric helps himself to more rice.

"On to better topics…Mom, do you want to help me pick out a dress for my wedding?" Lucy asks. "And Martin, let's pick out a theme early, so we can get the decorations under way already…"

"That's riiiight, the royal, fancy wedding of the family princess and her toad," Sam butts in as if we are talking to him. He and David snicker. "Yeah, let's discuss that…after all, we need to get the solid gold invitations ready for the queen of England and Spain after all…"

"Sam, butt out!" Lucy snaps.

"Sure, Luce, I think I have the bridal shops we can look through…there are at least three here in Glen Oak," Annie agrees.

"And we can start scouting out places in Hawaii…" I suggest. "We'll need to get hotel reservations in early before they're booked."

Thankfully the rest of dinner is taken up with wedding plans. I even suggest a western theme. "We can have country-western music at our reception."

"Eeeeee-Awwww!" Sam crows. "Dad can play that twang guitar banjo and Mart can wear a huge silly Texas hat as his groom hat."

I manage to ignore him. I of course have no intention of wearing any stupid hat and we'll have a proper band, a western band. Eric even knows some members of a swell western band he'd known in college and says he can contact them.

"Great, Dad!" Lucy squeals, hugging her dad. "Maybe we can get them for free since they're our friends."

"Maybe…" Eric nods.

"Who'll get the oil then?" Savannah asks.

"Oil?" Lucy and I demand at the same time.

"For the wedding," Savannah says and I realize she's actually serious.

"Why would we use oil during this wedding?" Annie asks. "None of us mentioned oil, honey."

"Sam did," Savannah says.

"Not me," Sam snickers. "Unless we get some to dump on Mart at the fancy party."

"Yeah, Sam said Mommy wanted a fancy oil wedding," Savannah nods as if confirming it.

"Oh, _royal_…" Eric lets out his breath. "A _royal_ wedding is what Sam said…" Eric gives Sam a stern look a minute. Sam rolls his eyes.

"No, Savannah, no one is having any 'oil' or _ROYAL_ wedding," Lucy sighs, then glares at Sam, who shrugs.

Savannah seems to get it, I guess because she doesn't say anything else. Kids, I think grimly.

* * *

Annie and Lucy head out to look at wedding supplies, including dresses and veils the next morning. Eric, in the mean time, does reach a couple of members of the band he knew, but unfortunately, they have nothing available for June at all; they're booked with a million other June weddings and even a few June graduations.

I actually would not mind having a February wedding as Annie initially suggested. I tell Eric this.

"Our next step is convincing Lucy," Eric says. "We can have our trip in February also…it might even break up the monotony of winter to be in a warm place if it's cold here."

"That does sound great," I agree. Thank God it's never snowy here, but sometimes it does get cold and dismal here. I could sell Lucy on that trump card.

Eric is going to go pick up Ruthie, who is coming home from the hospital, so he leaves late that morning. It's around noon when Annie and Lucy come back home. Lucy's fussing about something Annie is supposedly pushing on some dress style or some equally inane issue between them.

Lucy stomps upstairs while Annie sighs in exasperation. "Wedding trouble already?" I ask.

Annie nods. "Lucy wants a white dress so she can pretend she was never married to Kevin, for starters…but the fact remains that she has been married, so she's no longer a virgin, so I found a more appropriate beige dress…she had the biggest tantrum and just screamed at me that she won't let Kevin 'spoil' this wedding."

"Wow…" I say. "You're actually right there…much as we'd like to pretend jerks like Kevin don't exist, they do…her kids are proof enough of Kevin's existence…and I don't want to look like a liar in front of a whole wedding congregation saying our vows."

"Maybe you can convince Lucy…" Annie looks at me with her blue eyes pleading.

"I'll do my best…" I agree.

* * *

"She still thinks Kevin's part of this family!" Lucy rants a few minutes later when I come in and find her still in a tizzy. Her face is red and she's pacing. "I want to start fresh with you…a new family…but Mom just had to drag Kevin's name into it and start dictating that I can't wear white because I made the stupid mistake of marrying Kevin!"

"I'd like white also…" I agree as I roll over on the bed and watch her huff for a minute. She's beautiful even when she's all angry. "But I think your mother isn't going to lay off as long as you insist on pure white…"

"So we should just give in to her every whim?" Lucy fairly shrieks. "Let her dictate _MY_ wedding?"

"No…" I say. "But we could sort of…compromise…how about an off-white…or some other color so light that in the distance…and the bright sunlight of Hawaii, it would _look_ white?"

"So still give in to what my mother wants!" Lucy snorts.

"Not necessarily…" I tell her, sitting up. "You could find some pale color…like pink or pale beige…she'd see it and figure that she's 'convinced' you and lay off your back about the dress color…but once we're going through with the actual wedding, the congregation will see a white dress in the distance…and your mom can't say anything right in the middle of the wedding without making a fool of herself…so you'd still look like the virgin bride."

Lucy starts to calm down and appears to mull it over a minute. "I guess…that would shut Mom up…I could still get Dad to buy a white dress and could wear it during the reception…and I'm sure we'll go to some fancy restaurants for dinner…I know Dad won't begrudge us a few romantic dinners."

* * *

By dinner, Lucy's fairly calmed down and Ruthie's home once again. And again, thank God she is upstairs resting.

"We all have to be quiet when we're on the second floor," Eric tells us as we sit. "Ruthie needs a lot of rest in the next week or so…"

Mostly to change to topic off Ruthie, I tell everyone, "I think Lucy and I decided on a dress color…"

Lucy shoots a glance at me, then quickly says, "I think maybe off-white is all right…just some light color, Mom…and no flowered dress or anything, okay?"

Annie's eyeing Lucy warily, but she nods and seems to go limp with relief.

"And since I'm the bride with Dad paying, I have the final say, too." Lucy announces.

"Is Daddy coming to the wedding?" Savannah asks.

"No, he isn't," Lucy says a bit sharply.

"What about Aunt Mary?" Savannah asks.

"No." Lucy plings her fork down noisily. "It's just going to be Martin and me, you, the boys, and Grandma and Grandpa and some members of our church."

I nod. We certainly don't need the clowns to complicate this wedding.

"Hey, why don't you invite Simon and have him as a circus sideshow at the reception?" Sam quips. The twins giggle and Lucy and I give them a poisonous stare.

Annie's tensed again at the mention of Simon.

"Boys…" Eric says sternly. Then he looks over at Annie, then Lucy. "It would be nice to have Simon at the wedding…by then, this mess between you and Simon will have settled…"

"I really don't know, Eric," Annie says edgily. "Simon doesn't let things go easily…for all we know, he'll still be holding onto his grudge for years…"

"The least I can do is try, Annie," Eric says. "Maybe if I can convince him to come home for Christmas Day…it'll be a start…Martin, you and he will be brothers-in-law, so if you both could start the New Year on better terms since you'll be family…"

"I can try," I shrug. "I'll do my part…but as for Simon, it'll be up to him…it won't be my fault if he doesn't cooperate."

"Of course," Annie nods. "Lucy…your father called the band members…"

"Unfortunately, they had nothing for June," Eric tells her.

Lucy rolls her eyes, but surprisingly doesn't throw one of her fits. "So…do we start over with somebody else…?"

"I'm thinking since Martin is living with us full-time these days," Annie looks at me, then back at her daughter. "Would you re-consider having the wedding in February after all? The neighbors have gossiped about us enough already and the last thing you and Martin need is those gossips spreading rumors about you shacking up unmarried for months on end. We could book the hotel rooms and church in Hawaii then…"

"And it would be a nice break to get away from the winter here," I add. "I've been thinking about it too…I like the idea of being in wonderfully warm Hawaii in February…"

To my relief, Lucy does accept the idea. "And the sooner we settle into married life, the better it'll be for the two of us and the kids…they need an intact family with a mother and a father…and you'd be ideal, Martin."

I smile and we kiss. The twins make silly faces and gagging noises, but we're able to ignore them.

"So, are you going to invite Simon to come for our sideshow?" Sam asks. "You can add to it, Mart…you and Simon make a good comedy show…"

"Uncle Simon can't come because he's in New York a million miles away," Savannah says. "And anyway, Martin doesn't like Uncle Simon and is mean to him, so he doesn't wanna come."

I heave a gusty sigh. I thought I'd gotten through her thick little head…

"No one's going to do any 'sideshow,'" Eric tells Sam. "I will call Simon and invite him for Christmas and the wedding…"

"If he'll answer his phone…" Annie grumbles.

"I'll try to get him to answer," Eric tells her. "I'll leave a voice mail telling him how important this is because it's Christmas…and a family wedding…so he'll know that we've tried."

"And if he ignores us this time, it'll be on him," I say.

"And I'll also try to get Ruthie to cooperate…" Eric sighs. "I hope by February, if not Christmas Day, her attitude will have improved."

"And if it doesn't, it'll be on her," I say. I really wish Ruthie wouldn't be at our wedding, but I know her parents will insist that she attend.

"I need to go to the church office for an hour or so," Eric tells us as we finish dinner. "A meeting with some of the elders…I should be back before late."

* * *

Annie brings Ruthie her dinner. I get the feeling that Annie's told Ruthie of the latest in wedding plans because from my room, I can hear voices rising.

"I told you, Mom, I'm not going to any stinking wedding of theirs!" Ruthie shouts.

I tiptoe over close to my ajar door to hear more clearly.

"Yes, you are!" Annie snaps back. "We're a family and families do weddings together! I'm sorry things between you and Martin didn't work out, but these are times when we have to bite the bullet and move on…Lucy is your sister and Martin will very soon be your brother-in-law…families move past petty grudges and learn to cooperate with one another…support each other…"

"What about Simon?" Ruthie yells. "How come he gets to hold his grudges and avoid our family? And how come Mary gets to avoid our family? Or do you have some kind of double standard around here?"

"Okay, that's enough!" I can tell that Annie's now standing at the door, backing out. "We are not discussing either Simon or Mary! We are discussing you and your attitude, which is in dire need of improvement…Christmas is barely a week away and you won't be spoiling this day of Christ's birth for the rest of us…got it?"

I don't know if Ruthie answers or not because I don't hear any more yammering from her end.

"By then, you'll be recovered, so we will all go to church Christmas Day as a family and use that day to honor Christ's birth, not create drama for ourselves…if you do anything to ruin our Christmas visit to God's house, your father or I will take you outside and sit you in the car like a five-year-old and you'll spend the rest of Christmas Day in your room…got it?"

I suspect Ruthie doesn't answer, maybe just pouts or something because Annie slams the door. From the door opening from my room, I can see Annie stalk down the hall to the main bedroom and slam the door there.

* * *

Annie makes pancakes for Saturday morning breakfast while I help her by making sausages and eggs. Lucy meanders in a few minutes later and we hug and kiss. Eric's been in his study all morning, but comes out to the dining room once Annie serves breakfast.

The kids are mostly still sleepy, much to my relief, so there are no stupid questions or idiotic remarks from any of them during the meal. Rick cries at one point, however, so Lucy takes him upstairs.

A few minutes after she comes back down, footsteps sound on the stairs. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Ruthie. She's once again wearing _MY_ clothes…this time a shirt that's too big for her. The collar is pinned and the shirt hangs way over her knees. I silently vow to have a word with her about her taking my clothes.

"Ruthie…feeling better?" Eric smiles up at her. Lucy glares and Ruthie glares back, then at me.

"Why don't you come join us?" Eric pats a chair between him and Savannah.

Ruthie stands glaring at me for a long minute. I just ignore her and dig into my eggs.

"Sit with us," Annie tells her. "We need to be together for Christmas."

Ruthie comes over and silently sits. Annie serves her some breakfast foods.

"Feel better, Aunt Ruthie?" Savannah asks.

Ruthie stares at her for a minute, then mumbles, "Yeah…"

Lucy and Eric are planning their sermon for tomorrow, which is largely about the true meaning of Christmas. Lucy emphasizes that gifts, those decorated trees, and the light display carnival shows that are put on in so many places and in so many families need to go.

As we're finishing up breakfast, Annie asks if Eric has called Simon yet. Eric kind of _wheesh_es and runs a hand through his hair. Not a good sign.

"I did last night from the office," Eric tells her. "But as usual, he didn't answer…I left him a voice message about the wedding and the date change and all…even offered to pay his plane fare to come home for Christmas…"

Lucy heaves a gusty sigh. "And knowing Simon, he won't call back."

"Why don't you fly up there and have it out with Simon to his face?" Ruthie puts in.

"If he knew we were coming, he'd find someplace else to hide," Annie says. "And as it is, New York is so big anyway…"

"And money is a bit tight this year," Eric adds.

"But you said you could pay for Simon to come here…" Ruthie argues.

"It's cheaper to fly to here than it is to New York," Eric explains.

"And also the easy way out," Ruthie mutters. "You just don't want to really deal with Simon, so you two take it out on me…"

"Ruthie, that's not true!" Annie snaps.

"Then how come you didn't do anything about Simon the time he was sleeping around in college?" Ruthie demands. "Yet you got all over my case, Mom and you too Lucy for the time I was out with Vince instead of coming to some stupid dinner for our dead grandmother…and that was the time Vince dumped me right in front of everybody at the promenade!"

"We did confront Simon about that…" Eric says. "But you were often out of control in your teen years…look where it got you."

I stifle a laugh at the memory…I'd heard through the Glen Oak grapevine that Annie and Eric once crashed a dinner date of Simon's…but they ended up making total fools out of themselves right there in public in this nice restaurant.

And it sure didn't stop Simon from his sleeping around; he and his conquest of the night told them off, then went right up to this hotel room and continued their illicit sex. And neither Annie or Eric were able to stop him at all.

"You really shouldn't be throwing stones, Ruthie," Lucy adds. "You're living in a thin glass house…"

"Just butt out…!" Ruthie yells and jumps up so fast she knocks her chair over backwards and runs upstairs. She can't run too fast because of her stitches from her surgery and almost collapses on the stairs, but makes it up anyway.

"We have to do something about her," Lucy declares.

"Like what?" Annie sighs as she begins clearing away the dishes.

She also cleans up Ruthie's mess as well. I personally think they should leave it there and make Ruthie come back down and clean up her own mess. Eric, Lucy, and I pitch in and pick up some of the dishes also.

"Like have some kind of family meeting…" Lucy says.

"Like a sort of intervention," I perk up at this. "But what we need to do is really lay down consequences…Annie…Eric…you're great parents and all…but maybe she needs more serious consequences…"

"Like what kind?" Eric asks. "Sending her to her room hasn't worked…"

"Maybe…we could just…lock her outside without her key if she does anything to ruin Christmas," I suggest. "She'll have to just sit on the porch or something since we won't let her in."

"But if she's sitting outside, what'll the neighbors say?" Annie frets.

"She can be told to sit in the backyard…maybe on the table," I say. "Maybe for a few hours…and even longer if she cops another attitude…that'll teach her that she can't ruin our family celebrations anymore…you'll have the upper hand…and we can just go on with whatever we're doing inside…"

"That sounds like a good idea," Lucy nods. Annie and Eric look at each other, then tentatively agree.

"Okay, so who's going to tell her of this crackdown?" Lucy asks. "It won't be me…" she looks over at me.

"Not me either…" I say quickly. Knowing Ruthie, we'll end up in a huge yelling match.

"I'll tell her to join us for dinner," Annie says. "I'll say…it's some kind of…welcome-home present for her…she'll take that bait."

We're speaking softly and still in the kitchen to avoid any eavesdropping.

"We'll all be calm," Eric says. "If we jump on her and get all angry, she won't listen to us and will just yell back at us…and the last thing we need is more of her disrespect and nastiness."

We nod. I stifle a grin. Ruthie will probably still yell at us once she finds out what the real scoop is, but we'll just be all calm and quiet…that way she looks foolish alone and hopefully will feel like an idiot.


	24. Chapter 24

_A/N_: Finally got time to finish this chapter! Thanks for all your faithful reviews! I really love your reviews; keep them coming and thanks for your patience as I squash time from my busy schedule here and there for updates. More Martin/Lucy/Ruthie drama is coming…enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**24**

"Thank God this house isn't all cluttered with all that holiday tree and decoration junk anymore," Lucy declares as she and I help Annie set the table for dinner. "We got on the right track early this year."

As usual, Annie has cooked up a fantastic dinner. My mouth waters as she puts it on the table…beef stew, four-bean salad, a Mexican rice pilaf, and a kind of square loaf of a darkish bread with something black all over it. I peer closely and see that it's raisins.

"For Ruthie," Annie says. "She always likes this raisin-nut bread." I nod and stifle a grin at Annie's clever bait.

"I thought Ruthie wasn't getting any more special treatment," Lucy frets. "She's already spoiled enough."

"This is just to get her down here," Annie sighs.

Ruthie does come down. She smiles a bit when she sees the raisin bread, especially when Annie serves her a large slice.

"We have something for you after we eat, Ruthie," Eric tells her.

"You do?" Ruthie glances at Lucy, who eats, avoiding her eyes. The twins snicker.

"Nothing big, just a welcome-home present," Annie says, patting her hand. "It's a plan and you'll find out more about it after dinner."

It's when the dessert of strawberry cheesecake and ice cream is winding down when Annie looks at Eric, then Lucy, then me. She shoos the kids, including the twins, away from the table.

"Do we hafta leave?" Sam complains.

"Yes…you and your brother go work on your reading…you, Sam, go read the next chapter of _Swiss Family Robinson _and David, read another chapter of _Huckleberry Finn_. Your father will quiz both of you later on tonight." She waves them off. They go reluctantly as she clears the table.

"So where's my present?" Ruthie demands, looking around.

Lucy and I roll our eyes discreetly. Ruthie's actually dense enough to think we're giving her this wrapped-up material thing like a new watch or some other gadget.

"It's more of a plan," Eric wipes his mouth. "A personal plan for you to build on in the coming New Year."

"What kind of plan?" Ruthie sits back.

"A self-improvement plan," Annie tells her. "After all that's happened with you this year, your life can stand a lot of improvement."

"Yeah," Ruthie lets out her breath in a half-snort. "It can, especially after all those two pulled…" She glares at me, then at Lucy, who glares back.

"Let's not talk about Lucy or Martin," Eric says. "Let's focus on you."

"Yeah, let's…" Ruthie sighs. "How about getting me a good job and a house to get me out of here?"

"It doesn't work that way, Ruthie," Lucy tells her.

"First off, you'll have to gain the maturity to have your own place and hold a job," Annie adds. "A maturity you have yet to show."

"So, I'm immature?" Ruthie's indignant now. "What about Lucy, Martin, and the boys? If anyone's immature, it's them!"

"Hey, I'm mature!" I tell her, appalled that she has the nerve to drag me into her attack. "I'm the one who held this family together this past fall, especially when Matt died while you complained non-stop…"

"You just came to show off and curry favor with my parents…!" Ruthie shouts.

"I think one thing you need to do, Ruthie, is learn to listen to what others have to say," Eric puts in. He's managing to stay calm despite Ruthie's outburst but I can tell Lucy's just itching to yell at her. "You need to stop blaming others for your actions and stop with the constant rebuttals and arguing over every little thing somebody tells you."

"Amen to that," I say quietly. Lately, everything with Ruthie turns into a huge argument, which is part of why I've stopped talking to her.

Ruthie sits back and glares at all of us, but for once keeps her trap shut.

"You were disrespectful to me during that funeral also," Annie tells her. "I specifically told you to stay with the boys, but you ignored my request and slept in the living room, then when I questioned you about it, you were rude and disrespectful to me…it has grown worse since then."

"We heard you all the way from the kitchen, Ruthie," Lucy puts in.

"Because you two were eavesdropping as always," Ruthie shoots back.

I snort. "You're so loud I'm sure the whole state of New York heard you…maybe even Simon, your grandparents and the Glasses heard your little tirade then."

"That's because Mom just yelled at me!" Ruthie protests. "You're always yelling at me, Mom, over petty stuff…!"

"You don't listen when any of us try to speak to you reasonably, so you need yelling at sometimes!" Lucy says.

For a few minutes, Lucy and Ruthie start yelling accusations back and forth until Eric shushes both of them, then once they're silent again, he goes on.

"It even goes back before Matt's death, Ruthie," Eric continues. "Having sex out of wedlock, having an illegitimate daughter that your mother and I had to take care of, then turning around and having an affair with a man that you know is married with two sons…did you really think any good was going to come out of that?"

Ruthie shrugs. "I knew Martin was miserable with Sandy and I was just…bringing some light in his life…" she looks over at me. "Not that you appreciated it…you just dumped me after getting me pregnant."

"That's because you lied to me…" I start angrily.

"And you lied to me!" Ruthie yells. "You made all these promises that you'd leave Sandy and get me out of here…"

"I _NEVER_ lied to you…and I never made any 'promises,' but I was planning to leave Sandy and support my baby, but then you got Simon involved…"

"I was trying to help you with Sandy!" Ruthie shouts. "I didn't know Simon would rat both of us out and betray us…!"

"Common sense should have told you that Simon is unstable and untrustworthy, Ruthie!" Lucy adds.

"And you sure didn't help matters with Simon by telling him about his birth father and my long-ago mistake!" Annie tells her.

"That was Sam and David's fault, not mine!" Ruthie argues. "_THEY_ were the ones who told Simon that he was illegitimate…and that's when Simon came to me all upset and screeching at me…"

"Because _YOU_ were the ones who told the twins about Simon!" I say.

"They eavesdropped on our phone conversation…!" Ruthie comes back.

"And you were telling Martin things you should not have been discussion after invading _MY_ privacy!" Annie tells her. "I'm still very angry with you about that, Ruthie."

"I was just borrowing some lipstick and didn't know you had that letter in there!"

"Well, you didn't have to read it, did you?" I put in. "It's all because of you that this mess with Simon came out…you gave him the perfect weapon to punish your own family with, Ruthie."

"And that's the thing that made things worse with Simon," Lucy adds. "He was already unbalanced and screwed up as it was and you were the one who pushed him right over the edge…so he's in worse shape than ever and shunning Mom and Dad…not to mention that you gave him more ammunition to use against Martin!"

"I suspect that's a large part of why he's fled across the country," Annie wails. "It's not enough that he totally has shunned me, his own mother, but he's moved to get away from me…and he probably wouldn't have done that if you hadn't given him a reason, Ruthie…I don't know how long it'll be before I can forgive you for driving that wedge between my own son and me…"

"So you would have just kept on lying to all of us for the rest of our lives?" Ruthie snaps. "What morals! And here all of you are, carping on my wrongdoings! If this is my 'present,' then why don't we have one for Martin…"

"Once again, we're discussing you and how your conduct needs to improve, not on Martin or anyone else's," Eric says. "Martin's taken responsibility for his mistakes and you haven't."

"How…" Ruthie fires back. "By first marrying that tramp he never even loved just because he got her pregnant, then dumping her, then dumping me for my own sister? And abandoning the kids he has? Well, I hope he marries you, Lucy, gets you pregnant, then dumps you just like he did with Sandy…then you can have Mom and Dad take care of even more of your babies when Martin moves onto the next woman…!"

"_HEY_!" I yell, infuriated by her nerve.

"Face it, Martin, you're no better than Simon…" Ruthie continues.

"Don't you dare go there, Ruthie!" Eric says sternly. "Martin did the best he could with Sandy…and you should not have gotten involved in the first place while he was still married…even after Martin came to his senses and ended things with you the first time, you didn't learn…you invited him over when you were supposed to be keeping an eye on the kids while Rick was sick…we found we couldn't even trust you with that one simple thing…you betrayed that trust by sneaking out with Martin to have another illicit tryst and we sure didn't appreciate coming home to a house destroyed."

"That was the kids' faults," Ruthie says. "And what did they do to the house that was so bad anyway?"

"Sam and David threw and broke things in a fight," Annie says grimly. "I can't tell you how it shocked me to find our things all over the lawn…broken…destroyed…I will never forget that…"

"I'll never forget coming into our home and seeing Simon with the police in our living room," Lucy puts in. "The way Simon looked at us…and buttering up _MY_ kids and pumping _MY_ daughter for dirt on us…that _never_ would have happened if you hadn't left those kids alone! Not to mention losing Martin's baby through your carelessness!"

"You were the one who left me alone there with those kids and I didn't 'make' my own miscarriage happen to me!" Ruthie yells back, her face going red. "Or is that all my fault too? Are you going to blame me for Rick getting sick too? And Martin, you were the one who suggested that we go out in the first place!" She glares at me.

"Because you called and invited me over to listen to your endless complaints about the kids and your family," I fire back. "And to blame everybody else! According to you, nothing is ever your fault…it's always somebody else's fault…I've never heard you admit your mistakes once…!"

"Neither have you or Lucy!" Ruthie counters.

"I have admitted mine," I fire back. "And one of my hugest mistakes with ever getting involved with you! I should have paid more attention to Lucy when she said you were trouble."

"And ours…" Eric looks over at Annie. "Annie and I…have made mistakes…we let you get away with too much, Ruthie…that we admit and we're at fault for it…so we're changing that…from now on, Ruthie, we won't tolerate any more disrespect from you…you'll learn to take more responsibility around the house…"

"And help me out with the kids and with house chores," Annie tells her. "_WITHOUT_ complaining or getting an attitude."

"And what are Martin and Lucy contributing to this house?" Ruthie demands.

"They have their own family…they're raising the kids…and Lucy has her position in the church," Eric tells her coolly. "You don't have your own family, so you'll help Annie and me with ours."

"And if you continue with the disrespect, we will put you outside on the back porch and you will sit there until your attitude improves," Annie tells Ruthie. "Is that understood?"

"Great, treat me like some five-year-old," Ruthie mutters. "I guess the next step is making me share Savannah and Rick's room?"

"Is that understood?" Annie repeats, glaring at her.

"Only if you sit the kids, Lucy, or Martin outside when they pull their crap!" Ruthie snarks.

"What have we said?" Eric says, jutting out his chin and tilting his head toward her.

"Too much!" Ruthie jumps up. "Basically dumping everything on me, as usual!"

"Ruthie, get back here…"

"No," Ruthie snarls. "I'm so sick of everyone in this family!"

She dashes to the door. Eric stands, but Ruthie runs out, slamming the door behind her so hard that the pictures on the wall rattle.

"Well?" Lucy says. "Are you going to get her, Dad?"

Eric _wheesh_es, then says, "No…she can't go too far on foot…and she doesn't have cash with her to get a bus anywhere or anything…no, let's just let her cool down…she'll be back once she realizes that this is her only place to sleep and eat."

We slowly stand and go our ways. Lucy and Eric vanish into the study to work on tomorrow's sermon, I suppose. Annie starts on the dishes. I go upstairs to shower, then watch TV. I'm glad Annie and Eric have cable, so I'm able to use my TV here.

* * *

Maybe Eric should have gone after Ruthie after all because she doesn't return all night. Finally, in the early morning, Annie and Eric hunt for her. They manage to bring her back with lots of yelling going on between them. It seems as if she spent the night in the park. I wonder how long she would have lasted out there if her parents hadn't found her.

"Get upstairs," Eric orders her. "And no more of your trouble…especially this holiday."

Ruthie goes, but very noisily, stamping, then slamming the door with a huge bang. Rick starts to cry from somewhere in his room.

We have to get ready for church a bit later, so all of us get dressed to go. Lucy and Eric leave first since they have to prepare for the day's service.

Ruthie, for once, is quiet on the way, but sulks the whole time and gives me dirty looks in the car and during the service. I ignore her and talk only with Annie.

Lucy's sermon is mostly about Simon and Ruthie and all the trouble they've caused this autumn, although she doesn't mention them by name or even that it's her own siblings. She also touches upon the rampant materialism and commercialization of Christmas and reminds the parish to focus on the real meaning of Christmas.

The church is not that full, in fact, it seems as if fewer people are in today's congregation than before. The whole back half of the church is empty. Toward the end of Lucy's long sermon, several people are rude enough to get up and leave, including one family with four little kids.

Some example those parents are setting for their kids, I think as I watch them leave.

"So let's hope Christ can step into the hearts of those family members who have turn on us…betrayed us…and make them repentant of their actions…repentant enough to return to us and make up for their sins…and on this upcoming day of the birth of Christ, we will allow them to atone and return to us," she concludes.

Eric adds a few comments of his own about the birth of Christ, then he and Lucy hug before stepping down from the altar. The church empties out fairly quickly, leaving just us in the family here.

"I do hope my message is sinking in," Lucy grumbles. "I hope they're not all rushing to go shopping for a million gifts."

"I think they got sick of looking at Martin and Ruthie," Sam quips.

"Shut up…" I tell Sam in a low voice.

"It does seem that fewer people have been coming to our services in the past few weeks," Eric comments as we start out of the church.

"It's the holidays," Annie says. "People generally have a lot to do during this time of year."

"Yeah," Lucy scowls. "They wouldn't have so much junk to do if they recognized the true meaning of Christ's birth…they just have to cut out this materialistic shopping and running around putting all this nonsense…" Lucy gestures toward the wreaths hanging on the church door. "All over their houses and pigging out on junk…all's they'd have to do is come to church on Christ's birthday and worship, then spend the day in prayer…their lives would be a lot simpler then."

"Yeah, then there wouldn't be all this talk about people getting 'stressed' for the holiday," I add. "Did any of you see that family with the kids that were rude enough to walk out right in the middle of the sermon?"

"Yeah…" Lucy huffs.

Annie and Eric shake their heads.

"They were probably bored stiff," Sam says. "Anyone who listens to Lucy drone on and on about the same thing week after week is bound to get bored and either fall asleep or leave."

"Sam, Lucy's sermons are not 'boring'!" Annie scolds. Lucy glares at Sam, who smirks back.

"Well, David fell asleep and I had to bounce to keep awake," Sam insists. "Didn't you hear David snoring away?"

"I was not!" David protests hotly. "I was awake and paying attention! You were the one who sneaked the little tick-tack-toe game beside you."

"You were rude enough to play tick-tack-toe during _MY_ sermon?" Lucy demands.

"Well, you were rude enough to make the sermon about yourself, as you always do!" Sam snaps back. "We're not stupid, you know…we know all the talk about wayward siblings and all was just about Simon and Ruthie and how you're oh-so-perfect and 'good' compared to them."

"Don't we know it…" Ruthie adds. "You just use your sermons to criticize and attack the rest of us."

"Sam…Ruthie!" Eric cuts in. We're at the cars now. "That's enough!"

"Thanks, Dad," Lucy says in a low voice to her father. "Those three don't know when to shut up." They smile at each other.

* * *

Monday. Unfortunately, Mrs. Kinkirk comes by to visit her grandchildren and we have to let her. She takes them out to eat and to the park. I suspect she's also taking them to the mall, but I don't have proof.

"Probably she'll take them to see that Santa guy in the mall," Lucy complains. "I won't even go near the mall at this time of the year because of all the disgusting stuff there…holiday commercialism and excesses gone wild."

"Me either," I agree.

Mrs. Kinkirk doesn't bring them back until early evening. By then, Annie is making dinner and Lucy and I are helping with the table.

"She'd better have the kids back in time for dinner," Lucy keeps looking out the window. It's growing dark outside.

I head into the living room and watch the evening news. Ruthie edges down and seems to be watching a bit of it also. I mostly ignore her.

The phone rings. Annie's voice drifts from the kitchen. "Yeah…oh, they're staying for dinner…" She doesn't sound exactly pleased, but she also doesn't sound like she's about the explode either. "Yeah…I'll let everyone know…" She bangs down the phone.

I guess she tells Lucy because I hear Lucy complaining about Mrs. Kinkirk.

"Yeah…" Annie adds. "She took them to Lilly's house for a while…they're stealing my grandchildren…just like Lilly stole Dad from me late in his life."

"Can't they ever think of anyone but themselves?" Ruthie mutters under her breath.

"No," I say automatically. I hadn't meant to talk to Ruthie at all, but I guess since she will be here with Lucy and me, maybe I should try to at least be civil with her.

"Good…glad you see it," Ruthie sits.

She looks at me as if expecting something. I don't know what it is. I hope she's not harboring fresh delusions of me falling back in love with her again, not after what she put me through this autumn.

"Martin…I know things are over between us…" Ruthie starts. "But can we be…civil…since you and Lucy will be living with us? I really didn't mean all that crap I spouted out last night…it's just that I get so sick of Lucy and my parents always attacking me…I didn't mean to drag you into it…probably my parents pushed you into last night's little…intervention against me…"

"Sure, Ruthie," I say, not wanting to get into anything more with her.

I really don't know, though, if it's possible to have a civil relationship with Ruthie for long. She'll seem to apologize and seem to want to shape up, but then something doesn't go her way and she slips back into her snarkiness and her attitude, not to mention her lies.

"So, let's move on from last night, Martin," Ruthie says. "You're…?" she peers at me again.

Again I'm puzzled by what she wants, then it dawns on me that she's expecting me to actually apologize for telling it like it is with her last night. Well, no, I'm not giving her that satisfaction.

I settle for, "Why don't we just forget about last night, Ruthie…let's just concentrate on trying to get through this Christmas as a family in a civil manner."

Ruthie stares at me, I guess waiting for the apology she feels entitled to. When no apology comes, she sighs, kind of in a mildly disgusted way. "Sure, Martin."

Mrs. Kinkirk brings the kids back about an hour after dinner. Thank God they're not loaded down with a million gifts or anything, but they do seem to be cheerful for the first time in a long time.

"We saw Great-Aunt Lilly," Savannah chirps as if it's the highlight of her life. "Then they took us to see all the Christmas trees at the mall. Everything was so pretty and there was a big Santa Claus there…Rick was afraid of him, but I talked to Santa and he was nice to us kids…there were a lot of other kids there and they all talked to Santa."

Lucy meanwhile gives Mrs. Kinkirk a dirty look and shakes her head.

"Then we went to this 'Talian place where they had little meat pillows we could eat and spaghetti…the whole place had all this holly and lights…they were playing beautiful music too," Savannah concludes.

"So their dinner is taken care of," Mrs. Kinkirk smiles at them. "I'll be by on Christmas Day around noon…or would you prefer to drop them off at my house…Annie…Eric?"

Savannah squeals, "Yeeee-aaaa!" while Rick laughs and adds, "Eeeeee-aaaa…"

"No, go ahead and come…" Annie says tersely. "I suppose you're taking them to Lilly's?"

"Most likely," Mrs. Kinkirk nods.

"Can we call Uncle Simon from your house, Grandma?" Savannah asks.

Lucy and I scowl. Just what we need and just what the kids need. I get the feeling that Mrs. Kinkirk and Simon aren't letting the distance between them affect their little plots.

"We'll see if he's home then, dear," Mrs. Kinkirk kisses her. "Remember he did tell me he was going to visit his other family for Christmas, so we might have to call him a few days after…but we'll call him that week of Christmas."

"Sure…" Savannah nods. "I hope he's feeling better…I hope he has a nice Christmas with his dad and other family."

Annie cringes at the mention of Simon's birth dad.

* * *

I've just gotten ready for bed when Lucy stops me in the hallway on the way to her own room and asks, "What was that all about with Ruthie before dinner?"

Uh-oh, she's jealous.

"Nothing," I tell her. "Ruthie just came and plopped herself down next to me…I didn't invite her there, if that's what you're thinking."

"Then what was she telling you about last night…she sounded like she was apologizing to you, trying to butter you up…I heard you two…I think she wants something from you…I hope you're not too dense to see it."

"Of course I'm not dense enough to miss it," I snap. "She was expecting me to apologize to her, to tell the truth…but I never will since I know I wasn't the one who did anything wrong…and I told her that."

"You looked cozy in there," Lucy snipes. "Watch out for her because that's how she lured you in her trap in the first place…she'll start with this _Let's be civil _line…she's a master manipulator and you don't seem to see it until it's too late…"

"I'm not stupid," I say, annoyed by her jealous tirade. "I know she's manipulative and I won't let her trap me again…remember she can't get pregnant again also, so she can't trap me with another baby…"

"She's nothing but trouble!" Lucy insists. "Remember even you even agreed to that much that night. Ruthie has no sense of right or wrong and will pull you down with her if you're not careful…"

"Okay, I've heard enough, so just shut up and good night." I stalk past her to my room.

"Well, _I'M_ not letting Ruthie ruin this for us!" Lucy yells after me.

I slam the door. I just hope Lucy isn't going to be going into her jealous fits every time I even glance at Ruthie sideways. And I really don't appreciate her eavesdropping on my conversations with others, even with Ruthie.

* * *

Lucy and I are stiff with each other for most of the next day. Lucy glowers at me from time to time and I try to ignore her. I decide to help Annie with re-organizing her kitchen cabinets. One is still broken and Eric has taken it down.

"I don't know how we'll manage if the church charges us for the damage the boys did to this house," Annie complains.

"I think they should make Sam and David work at their church cleaning the pews or something," I say. "Then they'll pay for the damage themselves."

"Yeah, I wonder," Annie says. "I'm going upstairs to get more cleanser from the hall closet…are you set on where to put the cans?"

I nod and she heads upstairs. As I organize the cans, I hear Sam, Lucy and Ruthie carrying on in the living room over the television. At first, I don't pay attention to their silliness.

"_I LOVED MARTIN!_" Ruthie's loud voice suddenly shrills its way into my consciousness. "_I NEVER JUST 'USED' HIM FOR SEX, SO STOP CALLLING ME NAMES! YOU USED HIM TO WRECK MY LIFE! MARTIN AND I HAD PLANS TO MARRY_…_!_"

"_SURE YOU WERE GOING TO MARRY HIM!_" Lucy yells back. "_SO YOU COULD USE MARTIN GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE! IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU ANY LESS OF A TRAMP_…_!_"

I hear a sort of snap and wonder what it is.

"_AAAY, DON'T EVER SLAP ME AGAIN_…_!_" Lucy shrieks.

"_THEN STOP CALLING ME NAMES, MORON!_" Ruthie screams.

I head to the living room in case I need to pull them apart because the last thing we need is a repeat of Sam and David's fight the night they trashed the house.

Both of them are red-faced and glowering at each other. Sam is standing by the couch, laughing. But when Lucy sees me, she clutches her cheek and complains plaintively, "She slapped me."

"Only because you were calling me filthy names!" Ruthie yells.

"Well, you should have walked away, Ruthie!" I tell her. "Not caused even more trouble than you already have!"

"So, are you having sex with Ruthie again?" Sam has the gall to ask me.

"_NO, SO SHUT UP FOR ONCE!_" I yell at the brat.

"Liar…" Sam mutters, then scampers out of the living room just as Eric and Annie come racing down the stairs.

"_WHAT_ is going on?" Eric demands.

"Ruuuthie slapped me…" Lucy complains, holding her cheek.

"Only because you were calling me dirty names!" Ruthie shrieks. "She started it all!"

"Once again, nothing is ever your fault, Ruthie!" I tell her. "Lucy was just asking what you were talking about with me the other night…and you just slapped her, so don't try to deny it."

"Okay, maybe I did, but Mom, Dad, you should have heard the _HORRIBLE_ things Lucy was saying to me!" Ruthie keeps up her complaints.

Lucy has gone over to her parents and is now facing Ruthie, glaring once again.

"You should have just walked away then," I tell her.

"Yes, why didn't you?" Eric adds.

"Because I'm tired of Lucy running this house like she always does and you've always let her!" Ruthie screams. "You both spoiled her beyond belief and always blamed me for crap she and even Simon pulled! And I suppose I'll be the scapegoat for Martin's crap…"

"Leave this house," Annie tells Ruthie coldly.

"Annie…" Eric starts, but Annie brushes him off.

"No, I think we've had enough of your nonsense, Ruthie," Annie barrels on.

"But it's not fair, Lucy was the one who started…"

"You heard your mother," Eric adds sternly. "You have thirty minutes to pack what you can and just leave…go anywhere but here…call one of your friends and stay with him if you need to…just leave, so you won't get yourself into any more trouble…especially over this holy time of the year…get going."

I stifle a smile because Ruthie really doesn't have any friends. Maybe she can go to one of her old boyfriends and hook up with him again and stay in his place.

Ruthie looks at me plaintively for a long minute. I know she's hoping I'll come to her rescue. But I'm beyond done with her. I step back and she walks slowly upstairs, glancing back at me from time to time as if hoping for sympathy from me. But she's getting none from me.

It takes her about twenty minutes to pack. I hear her calling somebody named Zack. I think she's crying a little also. Finally Ruthie comes down, carrying two huge, overstuffed bags and leaves without a goodbye to any of us. She bangs the door as she goes.

"She's found somebody named Zack," I tell Annie and Eric as I re-enter the kitchen. "I guess she's staying with him."

"Good riddance to bad rubbish," Lucy says. "Martin, I'm sorry I get all jealous the other night…now that Ruthie's gone, we can continue with our wedding plans."

"Sure…" Lucy and I kiss before I resume helping Annie with the rest of the kitchen supplies.

I know, deep down inside, that Ruthie's not coming back here. I just hope I never see her or hear from her again as long as I live.


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N_: Hi, everybody, hope you all are surviving summer all right. Sorry I haven't updated in a while; this past month was so busy for me. Finally, here's the next chapter…the usual disclaimers that none of the _7__th__ Heaven _characters, places, and things are mine, much as I wish dear Simon is…enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**25**

Dinner that night is a bit quieter without Ruthie around. Lucy, Annie, and I can continue the wedding plans.

"…and the bridesmaids…we have to figure out who we can trust," Annie says.

"Ladies from the church," I suggest. "Preferably plain ones…and those who can afford the trip to Hawaii."

"And their dresses have to be way different," Lucy puts in.

"I think a deep coral would be a nice color for them," Annie adds. "It would match a lot of the flowers out there…"

It'll be so nice now being able to be with Lucy without dealing with Ruthie butting in and without her glaring at us all the time.

* * *

Although Ruthie's gone, we still have to deal with Sam and David's stupid comments. Sam doesn't stop complaining about the Game Three he'll be deprived of while David alternates between crabbing about how spoiled Lucy is and snarking about our wedding.

Lucy spends a lot of the week on the phone, calling the church ladies to see who can be bridesmaids.

Annie decides she wants to be the matron of honor when none of the church ladies accepts that honor, but Lucy doesn't want that.

"I'll get somebody," Lucy tells her as we sit down to eat later on that week. "You can just be the proud mother of the bride…okay?"

"So, who's gonna be the best man in this wedding?" Sam asks. "Maybe we could get Simon…" Sam smirks at me.

"Absolutely not!" I snap back.

"That would add some excitement," David butts in. "The best man and groom could have a huge fight and break up the boredom…"

"Oh, speaking of which…" Annie tucks a lock of her blond hair behind her ear. "We really should invite Simon and Mary…"

"No," Lucy says shortly. "I don't want them at my wedding."

"Why not?" Annie asks. "I know you and they don't see eye-to-eye, but by February, maybe things will have cooled down with Simon and he'll be more civil with us…"

"After what he did to our family?" Lucy exclaims indignantly, her face going red. "He's the reason the social service people are breathing down our backs! He's the reason Kevin's mother and your illegitimate half-sister have butted themselves in our lives!"

"Maybe your dad can talk to Simon more and get Simon to see that…" Annie starts.

"Simon doesn't pick up his phone and answer us…remember?" Lucy snipes. "Of course he won't pick up for Dad! And if you think we'll invite that Kinkirk woman and your illegitimate sister to my wedding, you're crazy!"

"Lucy…" Eric puts in as Annie winces and looks away.

"I wasn't planning on inviting Mrs. Kinkirk or Lilly," Annie says quietly and glares at Lucy.

Good. I actually agree with Lucy about Simon and Mary. The last thing we need is those two troublemakers at our wedding. Not to mention Annie carrying on and pleading Simon's forgiveness, since I am sure Simon will carry that grudge for the rest of his pathetic life.

"We'll discuss Simon and Mary more later," Eric says. "I really would like them there, despite everything that's gone down with Simon this year…I know you're still mad at him, Lucy, but we have to remember that he's not that stable, so I am sure he'll later regret trying to break up our family…"

"I doubt it," I say. Eric looks over at me.

"Sure, he's mentally unstable and all," I continue. "But I'm not sure it's a good idea having him there…and I doubt he'll ever feel bad about what he's done to us…that boy has no scruples…remember he never did come to have any shame about all the sleeping around he did in college."

"Is that what Mom, Dad, and Simon fought about when Simon was in college?" Sam asks.

"Yes," I tell him, mainly to shut him up. "Your brother was doing wrong things in college and your parents went up to deal with him on that."

"What?" Savannah pipes up. "What did Uncle Simon do wrong in college…why is sleeping around wrong? Maybe he was at sleepovers with his friends."

Lucy scowls. "Your uncle was doing more than 'sleepovers,' Savannah. He was having intimate relations he shouldn't have been having before marriage…"

"Oh, was that sek?" Savannah asks.

"Sek?" I say in bewilderment. "What on earth is 'sek'?"

"That thing you consider bad…that thing you say the kids do in school."

"She means _SEX!_" Sam crows and laughs. "Yep, Sav, Simon had _SEX_ in college…" Sam grins gleefully. "And he wasn't married…and with that weird face and being a mental case he is, we doubt any girl would want to marry him."

"Let's not discuss this when we're eating," Annie heaves a huge disgusted sigh.

"Hey, Mom, I remember…" David pipes up. "Sam and me were in kindergarten…you were mad at us 'cause that teacher sent us home over something real stupid…then Simon and that girl came sneaking down and you ran out to them and asked Simon…he kind of laughed all nervously, then told you it was 'private' then walked out on you with you screaming after him…" the twins laugh as if it's hilarious.

"Boys!" Annie and Eric say at the same time. But the little twits keep laughing.

"See why it's a bad idea to invite Simon?" I say as we get ready to clear the table.

* * *

Later on in the week, Lucy and I pick up her dress. Most of the time, Lucy complains about Annie. Somehow, although Simon is three thousand miles away, he's managed to put a bit of a damper on our plans, especially since Annie insists on trying to invite him along with Mary.

Eric is also calling around, hoping to secure a hotel for all of us by February.

"I hope we can get the Four Seasons Hotel," Lucy tells me on Friday evening as we watch a spy detective TV movie later on that night after the kids are in bed.

"What's there?" I ask as we kiss.

"It's a supreme luxury hotel with everything…including being right on the beach and also with all these adorable separate cottages…so each couple can have absolute privacy."

"Sounds great," I say. We mute the sound when commercials come on, especially all the stupid Christmas holiday commercials. Even most of the TV shows have these holiday themes to them. Thank God the movie is just a normal movie with a good crime-spy plot.

"I wish we could get away to Hawaii tonight," Lucy whispers. "And not have to deal with Mom's butting in with her own agenda or any of this holiday circus crap the world pushes on us every year."

"Me too…" I agree. "Just you and me…we'd have our own little holiday without this zoo."

"No Mrs. Kinkirk, no Lilly, none of the nonsense from Simon…" Lucy says. "We even need a break from the kids."

"Especially those boys," I add.

"Yeah…" Lucy says. "You'd think Mom and Dad would have better control over Sam and David…especially now that Ruthie's gone…and now that even Ruthie's kid is gone also…thank God Mac's mother left for Oregon with Kaylee and won't be here to make trouble for us…as it is, we have to deal with Mrs. Kinkirk and that Lilly woman…"

* * *

"Did you reach Simon or Mary?" Annie asks Eric on Saturday morning. I'm just waking up and can hear them from my bed.

"I reached Mary…" Eric sighs. "She says she doesn't think she'll make it…other plans and all…seemed in a hurry also…told me she's taking a vacation, but didn't say where or with whom…"

"And Simon?" Annie queries. "After all, you went out and called him from a pay phone at the mall yesterday, so he wouldn't know it was from one of us…"

"No luck there…didn't pick up…I didn't bother leaving a message," Eric tells her. "What's more…the hotels out in Hawaii are expensive…I'm not even sure I can afford a motel for all of us…I wonder what we tell Martin and Lucy if I can't afford to pay for the hotel…?"

"Crrrap…" I mutter, feeling a bit miffed that they're calling Simon and Mary when they haven't finished discussing it with Lucy and me.

The rest of the weekend doesn't get much better. Lucy and Annie don't stop bickering for more than five minutes at a time over petty details of the wedding. Lucy wants five million bridesmaids while Annie wants just two, preferably women Annie's own age. Lucy wants them younger, close to her own age.

"And who's going to pay for all those dresses?" Annie demands that Sunday morning on as we're getting ready for church.

"_THEY WILL!_" Lucy shouts back. "And they can pay for some of the reception since they'll be there eating our food."

I have to stifle a laugh as I put my tie on in front of my own mirror. Good luck convincing those church women to fork up the cash for their own bridesmaid dresses, let alone essentially paying admission to a wedding.

By the time we're in the car, Lucy and Annie are pointedly ignoring each other as Eric drives us all to the church. I just hope Lucy and Annie don't spend the next two months carrying on like this.

Eric preaches for most of the service, then Lucy comes on.

She mostly talks about wedding plans and how they relate to God…then she smiles at the congregation and adds, "I do hope all of you ladies I called will consider this honor and take it…it'll be a wonderful occasion for this church to see me marry a wonderful man…create a new family, one that certain in-laws and illegitimate half-siblings can't destroy."

The twins laugh while several others whisper and roll their eyes. Annie sighs. "Only a few of the women have returned either mine or Lucy's calls…and those that called back have all declined…" she whispers.

"Probably because of all the holiday hoopla," I whisper back. "I'm sure they'll start calling back in January once this Christmas circus dies down."

After the service, the congregation fairly scrams out of there without giving any of us the courtesy of a goodbye. Lucy scowls as she steps down.

The congregates do talk amongst themselves and I hear a snatch about Ruthie. "…heard Martin broke her heart after getting her pregnant…she couldn't bear to deal with Martin afterward…"

"Especially after he cheated on Ruthie with Lucy!" this guy adds. They vanish too quickly, leaving me fuming. I guess some of them see me glaring at them because two of the women have the nerve to glare back at me.

"Martin…" Annie puts a hand on my shoulder. I turn. "Let's head home…the elders wanted to speak to Eric and Lucy alone, so Eric told us to go on ahead and have lunch…"

"Sure…" I say. "Let's eat out on the patio…it's nice today." It's around sixty-five, a bit chilly for my liking, but not too cold. Annie nods and I drive the boys, Lucy's kids, and her back home.

At home, we have hot dogs with all the trimmings, steaks, and tacos. Annie fixes a huge salad. Annie seems a bit put out as we eat out on the patio.

"Once the wedding details are over with, things will settle down with Lucy," I tell her.

"I hope so," Annie sighs. "Because right now, she's getting on my last nerve. Maybe you can settle her once you two are married…you'll be good for her…and good for her kids…although I wonder how much influence those public schools will have on the kids…as it is, Savannah's already been negatively influenced by that Kinkirk woman and Simon."

"I just wonder what Simon has told her," I say. "Especially when Simon was with the kids the night the boys trashed the house…"

"By New Years Day, Eric and I have to have the kids immunized," Annie says. "We've been ordered by those…socialists of the government…to have Savannah and Rick injected with these…chemicals against our will." She heaves a gusty sigh, fuming for a long minute.

It makes me mad too…especially since Simon and Mrs. Kinkirk are the cause of all this.

"We'll just have to stand strong against those schools…and not let those teachers sway our kids on the wrong direction…" I say.

"I'll never forgive Ruthie for just signing away my granddaughter…" Annie complains. "Now we won't know how Kaylee will be raised…and knowing Mac's mother, she'd ship Kaylee to public school once she gets old enough. Mac's mother did a lousy job raising her son…"

And most likely she won't do any better with Kaylee, I silently add.

The door bangs open just then and Eric and Lucy come home through the back gate with Lucy complaining loudly about the church elders. Eric's making weak attempts to calm her down.

"You'll TRY to talk to them?" Lucy screams. "After they just told me I was 'dismissed' from the church?"

"Yes, I will try," Eric sighs. "It's the best we can do…"

"What happened?" I ask.

"Lucy was let go from her position," Eric tells us.

"It's about time," Sam quips.

"_WHAT?_" Lucy shrieks at him.

"I said it's about time," Sam has the gall to say. "Your sermons were so dull and stupid…"

"_SAM!_" Annie yells just as Lucy screams, "_THEY WERE NOT 'DULL' OR 'STUPID'!_"

"Then why does everybody else run out after your sermon?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, you always made it all about you," David adds.

"_YOU TWO ARE THE ONES WHO ARE DULL AND STUPID IF YOU DON'T GET THAT MY SERMONS WERE ABOUT REAL LIFE! YOU TWO ARE THE ONES WHO THINK EVERYTHING SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT YOU!_" Lucy yells, then storms inside and upstairs.

In a way, I'm not surprised that Lucy's been fired. Her recent sermons were pretty bad and she did make them too much about herself.

Eric sits with a sigh as Annie puts together a plate for him. "This means I'm the only one with an income…" he looks over at me. "I'm not sure we can afford Hawaii, Martin, even in February…"

Inside, I'm a bit miffed, but I don't let it show since I don't want to get into any arguments. After all, it's Lucy's fault, not Eric's, that she got herself fired. I just paste on a smile and say, "It's all right…I understand how it is with money…let's just hope Lucy understands…"

* * *

Lucy doesn't understand too much. She spends the rest of the day and Monday fuming and demanding that Eric sue the elders.

Eric does talk to the elders, but has no luck. "I'm thinking of moving to another church anyway," he tells us at dinner. "This church has deteriorated in recent years…gone too lax on the Biblical morals and concepts."

"Maybe you should leave it, Dad!" Lucy says. "We can go to a true Christian church…one that sticks to the real meaning of the birth of Christ…not one that falls for that other pagan nonsense…did you see that tacky holly and berry stuff all over the church doors and all?"

"Good idea," I say.

"Can we afford that, Eric?" Annie wails. "After all, we're still paying for the house damage and court dates."

"So, what are you going to do for a libbing if you're not a minster, Grandpa?" Savannah asks. "Would you move like Uncle Simon?"

"No, sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere," Eric tells her. "And I will still be a minister…I'm just thinking of a different church around here…and I'd secure the new position before giving my notice to the Glen Oak main church…"

Maybe changing churches is a good idea…especially since the congregation of this church we're in now has gotten so rude lately.

* * *

Speaking of holidays, there's a holiday surprise waiting for Lucy on Tuesday evening…a Christmas card. It's very pretty with a Nativity scene and is from New York.

"I wonder who it's from?" Lucy mutters. I wonder also as she opens it.

It's from none other than Simon. But instead of maybe the apologies he owes us for all the crap he's pulled this autumn, it wishes us a "Merry Christmas," then goes on in some syrupy-sweet note talking on and on about the kids and basically telling us how to celebrate the birth of Christ.

He also indirectly insults me in it, basically telling Lucy not to marry me, that it would be "bad" for the kids and also has the nerve to bring up Ruthie.

"Eeee_UUUUUUGHPPPPP!_" Lucy splutters in fury.

"_These innocent kids deserve happy memories of this _SPECIAL_ time of the year_," Lucy reads off from the card. "_And you, Lucy, as their primary parent, have the power to make than happen_…yeah, right! And just _LOOK_ at what my hypocrite of a half-brother added…" she mimics Simon's voice, adding a mock-sappy tone to it. "_Despite all that has gone down between us as siblings, I still love you, Luce, and I love the kids_."

This card leaves us both furious. Lucy rips up the card and throws it in the trash.

"That boy has real passive-aggressive issues," I snarl. "I should call him…I'll block my number, so he can't tell it's me and just let him have it…"

"It's no use," Lucy tells me as she goes upstairs. "Even if he did pick up, what's to stop him from hanging up on you?"

It infuriates me even more to know this…and that Simon is way over in New York and can crap on us long-distance, then hide.

I pace and wait several hours, so no one will be around. If Simon doesn't pick up, at least I'll leave him a message, so he knows where his stupid card stands with me.

And he doesn't pick up, so I leave him a message, telling him off and calling him out on his cowardice, his trashing me in the card, and his using Christ's birthday to pull this stunt he thinks is so cute.

Unfortunately, Sam comes into the kitchen, grinning as I wrap up my telling-off. "Wow, who are you yelling at this time, Mart?" Sam jeers, rudely interrupting me.

"None of your business!" I yell at him. "And you will never call me Mart again and will learn to respect me, you disrespectful, rude little brat! And you will get out of here before I kick your butt!"

I half-stand and give Sam a shove. Sam laughs and slaps back at me, but I manage to get him out of the kitchen and slam the door.

I finish my message to Simon, telling him to stop trying to dictate how to raise our own kids and that he's not the expert he thinks he is. I conclude with, "…SHUT UP AND BUTT OUT OF OUR LIVES, FREAK ILLEGITIMATE BASTARD!"

I slam the phone shut, hoping he gets this message and hoping I've at least scared him into re-thinking his filthy little passive-aggressive games on us.

* * *

Wednesday, Mrs. Kinkirk and Lilly take Savannah and Rick out to dinner, much to our consternation. But there's not much we can do about this. I silently fume at the freak illegitimate bastard that's helped this happen.

"Mrs. Kinkirk and Simon have talked apparently…" Annie's also fuming. "And Simon has met his 'other side' of the family."

"You mean his real dad?" Lucy asks as we sit down to dinner.

"Your father is his 'real dad," Lucy," Annie says tersely. "But Simon has met his biological father…and he has three other kids with another woman…he's gone out to eat with all of them…"

"Should it really matter to you, Annie?" Eric asks, spearing a piece of meat loaf. "It's not as if this Sean Gallagher or his other spawn would be part of our lives."

"I'm just upset that my own son has turned his back on me!" Annie snaps. "It's not enough that we gave him a family and raised him as part of a normal family…he had to go seek this other family, who are strangers…"

"So, is Simon's real dad as ugly as he is?" Sam asks.

"Probably," I tell him. "And probably the kids are too."

"Sam! Martin!" Eric sighs. "Let's just forget about them, Annie…they're far away…it's not as if they'd be coming here."

"Well, Simon had better not bring any of those people here," Annie snipes. "I'd love to have him here for the holidays and the wedding, but I just hope he never brings those…Gallaghers here."

"I doubt he will," Eric sighs. "I somehow suspect we won't see Simon again for years."

* * *

Annie somehow still hangs onto the delusion that she can "get" Simon to come home for the holidays and "get" him to forgive her because after dinner, I hear her pleading over the phone and can tell she's talking to Simon…or more like talking to his voice mail since of course he's avoiding her.

Annie plops a cake she's making for Christmas Day into the oven as she begs, "Simon…it's Christmas, so don't carry this grudge on over this holy time of the birth of Christ…at least call me back…don't do this…don't push me away at Christmas…"

Annie heaves a gusty sigh as I came into the kitchen and ask, "Still hiding, isn't he?"

"Yes, unfortunately…" Annie says.

And unfortunately, Lucy and Annie fight again that night. Annie told her that she wants the wedding here in Glen Oak after all while Lucy still wants Hawaii.

"We can just use the credit cards then!" Lucy says. "And Dad and I will have jobs in another church, so we can pay it off!"

"If you find another…" Annie says.

"_IF I FIND ANOTHER?_" Lucy shrieks. "_WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?_"

"Nothing!" Annie splutters. "And not to mention that none of the church woman have agreed to be bridesmaids and the half we have contacted have said no…"

"Then just _FORGET IT, THEN!_" Lucy yells. "I'll take care of this…Martin and I will…you can just butt out!"

"Lucy…!" Annie half-pleads, half-shouts, but Lucy's storming up the stairs, ignoring her mother.

I'm watching TV in my room and can hear everything. Lucy comes in, fuming, her face red, and plops onto my bed.

"Bad, huh?" I say, stroking her hair.

"Yeah…Mom's now insisting that we have some simple little Glen Oak affair right here in this stupid little town…as if her own daughter doesn't deserve better," Lucy complains.

"Yeah…and so this town can gossip about us all the more," I add.

"I wish we could just elope away from Mom…just take off to Hawaii and not have the need for money in our way," Lucy pouts.

"Yeah…" I agree.

We silently watch the night soap opera on TV for a while. Soap operas are really not my thing, but there's not much else good on tonight…and even the good shows are either re-runs or have some holiday theme that has nothing to do with what Christmas is really about.

But Lucy likes the soaps, so I figure watching this one will calm her. I lean back and she leans on my lap. As I do so, I catch a glimpse of my wallet on my dresser and see a gleam of a credit card sticking out…I realize that one of them is actually Dad's.

I had taken it earlier this month when I was going to treat Ruthie to coffee the night she had her miscarriage and the boys messed up the house…but I never got to use it nor did I ever get a chance to return it to Dad's wallet.

Thinking of what Lucy said about wishing we could elope and that we had money sparks the beginning of an idea in my head. It's a crazy idea, one that Lucy would dream up, but the more I think about it, the better the idea seems.

Especially since with those credit cards, I easily have around forty-thousand dollars at my disposal…and I can be the one to give Lucy the wedding she's dreaming of…

_A/N_: So glad I got back into this story again…how's that for a cliffhanger? Hope you all enjoyed…more drama to come especially when Martin's idea comes to fruitation, especially for their holiday!


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N_: Hi, glad I _FINALLY_ had some time to update! Again, thanks for the swell reviews…again none of the _7__th__ Heaven _characters, places, etc, etc are mine, much as I wish dear Simon were…onward…

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**26**

"We've really pulled it off!" Lucy squeals excitedly as our plane takes off from Las Vegas headed for Hawaii.

"And without Annie's interference," I marvel. "Easier than I thought." We kiss our second kiss as a married couple.

My mind goes over the past twenty-four or so hours…as soon as I'd told Lucy of my idea, she'd pounced on it. We'd waited until everyone else was asleep, then packed whatever we could carry over the next few days, then left early this morning for Las Vegas for a quick wedding.

"I texted Dad's cell and left him a message telling him you and I would be away…" Lucy tells me.

"You didn't tell where we are, did you?" I ask.

"No…just that we eloped and we're in Hawaii…" Lucy leans on me. "Hawaii's so big that we could be anywhere…I doubt Mom could send Dad over there just to look for us."

I laugh a little. "Your mom should be happy…no white wedding dresses to spoil her idea of what's 'proper.'"

"And no more stupid complaints from Sam and David about me supposedly 'taking' Dad's money they feel entitled to," Lucy sighs. "And I've turned my phone off, so we won't be bothered just in case Mom calls to throw a hissy fit."

"Good," I say.

We land in Los Angeles an hour later, then catch the connecting flight to Hawaii. At the airport, I reserve us a room at the best hotel I see there, the Four Seasons. Thank God I have my dad's credit card.

What's wonderful is that we're able to get first-class seating…no cramming up with a bunch of others….our wedding gift to ourselves. It was a few thousand bucks, but worth it. The plane is still quite crowded, though. Lucy and I tune the others out and kiss and snuggle for most of the flight.

* * *

Hawaii is a gorgeous as the ads say…palm trees all over and warm breezes. The bright sunlight makes even Glen Oak seem dark and dismal in comparison.

Lucy and I sigh in bliss. I can just smell that ocean air all the way from the open-air building of the airport. For a while, we just walk around, taking in the gorgeous sights and wonderful smells…besides the ocean smells, there is a summery smell of salt, suntan lotion, flowers and sand.

Outside, there are flowers all over the place and in almost every color…the brightest I've ever seen. I think they are even brighter than in Florida, which is pretty tropical also.

Lucy picks a few large pink ones and puts one in her hair. She hums and twirls around a bit. I laugh, then applaud lightly. The pink really compliments her light hair and fair complexion.

We see a stand that is selling souvenirs and little daiquiris, so we buy two daiquiris that have coconut shaving in them.

"Cheers," I say.

We click cups, then drink. Lucy's smiling at me. I myself am wearing a silly grin. I am happier than I have been in many, many months. Eric, Annie, Sandy, Rose, Mrs. Kinkirk…those annoying brats that most people call kids…Simon, Ruthie, my dad…all are far, far away.

It's as if I've stepped into an alternate world where none of them exist. Even dreary Glen Oak no longer exists for us right now…and certainly no horrid winter to dread. And none of the circus called "holidays" here, at least not in our room we're staying in.

Lucy and I are eager to see our hotel, so I flag down a little cartlike taxi and we ride over to Four Seasons.

"Aloha…" the driver, a small Asian guy, smiles at us.

"What does _alola_ mean?" Lucy's puzzled.

I laugh. "It means _hello_ in Hawaiian."

The driver laughs also. "That's right…you two are from the mainland, aren't you?"

"Yes," I tell him. "We just got married and we're here for our honeymoon."

"Well, congratulations!" the guy crows as he weaves through one wide road with lots of traffic and people crossing. Lots of the people are wearing brightly colored clothes. Most of the women are wearing sandals and tank tops or sundresses. Lots of the guys are in bright-print shirts or shorts.

"Oooooh, look, the ocean!" Lucy crows. "I can't wait to go in there!"

Sure enough, the ocean is to our right, glittering deep turquoise and just beautiful. The sunshine catches each wave in a breathtaking sight. People are surfing and swimming among the waves. I sigh happily.

We arrive at the hotel in about a half hour. The hotel is wonderful-looking. It's on a sandy dune area right near the ocean and is several little cottages with thatched roofs. We pay the driver, bid him goodbye, and take off for the largest building, which is the check-in and concierge.

The driver doesn't drive off immediately, but watches us a minute before slowly driving off. I think I see him shake his head, but can't be sure. What's his problem? I wonder vaguely. We did pay him the full cost; it's not as if we took off without paying or anything. I shrug him off as we enter.

The lobby is actually small, but very pretty with flowers. There is a Christmas tree there and it looks silly among all the flowers, but we're able to ignore it. The tree actually has seashells and plastic fish for decorations. I snort at the sight.

At the desk, I give my name and the lady gives us the key. Another lady grins at us and leads us to our cottage. She's a tiny little scrawny thing. I don't think she speaks English very well, but she does find the right place.

"Blissss….our first home….sort of…." Lucy sighs once we enter. The cottage is small, but nice. It has a small bedroom with a wide bed, a bathroom and even a breakfast-dinner nook. There is also a small round porch with a grass roof.

"It's nice," I say. I do wish it were a bit more spacious, but I guess it'll do…especially for the price we're paying per night. And it does have a nice tropical smell. And also there are flowers here and there throughout the room.

Wow, it's hard to believe…Lucy and I are finally married. We did it…and without Annie and Eric's interference. Here Lucy and I just have each other…no one to butt in…no "holiday" nonsense or anything.

I smile ruefully as I remember how earlier this autumn, Ruthie and I fantasized about this very same thing…getting away from it all to a romantic tropical island. Thank God I saw in time what a conniving snot Ruthie is before it was too late.

Lucy and I unpack a few things, then with happy sighs, fall into the large bed, kissing. And since we are now married, we're free to make love, so we do so with abandon and full pleasure. Afterward, we whisper sweet nothings back and forth for a few hours.

* * *

Lucy and I go out to eat at the most romantic restaurant we can find. It's a French place, which Lucy loves. The atmosphere is beautiful with candles and fancy tables with red tablecloths.

I don't care for the food much and I don't know if Lucy really likes it, but I think she pretends to love it. Mostly, we drink the wine and toast each other. We even get some of the wait staff to sing a wedding song to us.

After sleeping our first night of married life in this wonderful place, we do a little supply shopping, mainly swimming gear and suntan lotion, then go to the beach. I know how to surf some, so I rent a surf board. Lucy mostly frolics in the waves.

It's pure heaven, I think as we have a fun afternoon in the ocean. We have fun play-splatting each other and laughing. This is the most I've laughed in months…maybe even this year. It's wonderful to be able to let loose.

"You really know how to show a girl a good time!" Lucy laughs as we take a little break from the ocean and plop down happily on a beach towel in the sand. "I never knew you are so much fun."

I tickle her stomach a little between her pale yellow bikini. It has small pink flowers all over it. "I've always known you're fun."

She giggles and slathers more tanning lotion onto herself. She has really fair skin, so I'm glad she has the sense to cover herself.

"Want me to put some more on you?" Lucy holds out the bottle. "Your left arm is getting a bit red."

"Sure," I say.

As she does, I do notice a pink tinge on my lower arm and hope I don't end up with a sunburn too soon. It shouldn't because I am not as fair is Lucy. I know I'm not dark either, but I'm not one of those pale types that burn at a bit of sun.

"I always did wonder why my parents never took us kids to places like here or to the beaches in San Diego…" Lucy muses as she lies back. I put on my sunglasses and lie back also. I pull part of the towel over my left arm.

"I mean, maybe Dad couldn't afford to all the time, but at least, they could have taken us just once," Lucy goes on as she leafs through a fashion magazine she's brought.

"You've never been to the beach?" I ask.

"Yes…but just once in LA and once in the central part of California…so maybe twice…and the once in the central part was too cold and the sand was this horrid brown…Simon and Ruthie loved it, but Mom and I didn't…Mom didn't stop complaining the whole time…she had to keep telling Simon and Ruthie to stay away from the seaweed clumps…this was before Sam and David were around."

"Yuck…that does sound horrid," I make a face. "This beach is certainly much better." I look around at the beautiful white sand stretching for miles all around and the gorgeous ocean. I think it's the most wonderful sight in the world.

And the beach is really not that crowded…just a group of kids playing volleyball up the beach and a few people sunbathing…and several people surfing, playing, and swimming. A girl about Savannah's age is riding the waves and sliding along the sand at the edge.

I just hope Lucy's kids aren't whining for their mommy back home…or maybe it would serve Annie and Eric right if those kids were really whining and giving them a hard time. Let them deal with those kids for a change.

* * *

Lucy and I spend the next couple of days in total happiness, the first peace we've known in maybe over a year…just each other, the tropical surroundings, and the ocean. We don't even wear watches; we just don't bother with even knowing the time. Even time doesn't exist for us here.

It's the kind of honeymoon I'd always dreamed of. Lucy tells me this much as we get ready to head out to eat. This time it's an Asian place. I actually have noticed that there are many Asian people here. I guess that's because Hawaii is right in the Pacific Ocean.

We get a cab that is like the first one we took to get to the restaurant. It's just a few minutes drive and it's right on the ocean front with a fantastic view of the ocean.

"Not as busy tonight," the cabbie comments. "I guess because it's Christmas Eve…"

Really? I start a bit in surprise and Lucy and I look at each other.

"Yeah…" I say, hiding the fact that I'd forgotten that it was Christmas Eve.

"Merry Christmas," the cabbie grins at us. "Or…" the cabbie says something in Hawaiian that sounds like _Mele Kelikee _or something.

"What does that mean?" Lucy asks.

"Merry Christmas!" the cabbie tells us.

"Oh…well…Merry Christmas," I say as the cab pulls up to the place.

"Yeah, Malla…caca-whatever…" Lucy adds. She rolls her eyes as I pay and we go into the restaurant. "Hawaiian sure is a weird language," she tells me as we enter.

There is about a fifteen-minute wait for a table, so we sit on one of the long couches with sighs.

There is a threesome there and two other couples. Another couple enters and gets entered into the wait list. They look familiar, I think, peering more closely.

They talk a little with the waiter by them, then sit on a short couch diagonally from us and my breath goes out of me in a kind of whoosh. Lucy lets out a kind of indignant little shriek and her eyes grow wide.

Kevin Kinkirk and Mary Riviera. What in God's name are those two doing here?

"What the…?" Lucy huffs.

Kevin and Mary then see us and they sit straight and kind of glare at us. Lucy and I stand, ready to leave. But Kevin and Mary stand at the same time and cut on over to us.

"Well, isn't this a small world," Mary jeers. "What brings you over here, sis? And Martin…you two look kind of cozy there…"

"Hello, Luce…" Kevin smiles at my wife.

"What are you two doing here?" Lucy exclaims, glaring at them. "Mary, what are you doing with my ex-husband? Huh?"

"Honeymooning…" Mary glares back at her. "Kevin's not yours anymore, Lucy…Kevin and I married a couple of weeks ago…" Mary holds out her hand, which has a huge ring.

Kevin keeps smiling at Lucy, which annoys me to no end. I glare at Kevin.

"If you're so in love with Mary, why are you grinning at _MY_ wife?" I demand.

"You married Lucy?" Kevin's smile turns into an ugly sneer as he turns his gaze on me.

"_YES!_" I want to punch Kevin's straight little nose so badly. "Unlike you, I'm not going to take off on Lucy…and I'm also helping Lucy raise _YOUR_ kids!"

Kevin snorts. "I wonder how long your interest in my kids will last…don't forget I still have liberal visitation rights…"

Lucy, meanwhile is sniping at Mary for "moving in" on Kevin.

"You had your chance with Kevin and you blew it!" Mary shouts back at her.

"You can brag about your 'paternal' rights all you want, Kevin Kinkirk, but it'll be ME that will raise those kids…I'll be there for Lucy in a way you never were…she needed a real father for those kids and you flaked out, so I took over…they look up to ME now as their father!" I tell Kevin.

"Wow, Annie and Eric are more duped by you than I realize…" Kevin whistles.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I yell.

"Just that…you put on a big show of being this devoted 'family man,' but I'll never forget how you used Sandy, then dumped her and wanted nothing to do with your kid by her…or kids since I've heard she has two…not to mention you stringing Ruthie along all this time."

"That's _NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!_" I shout, infuriated by his absolute nerve.

"Hey, hey, heyyyyy…what's going on here?" the host comes up and is glaring at us.

"Not much," Lucy tells him. "Just that my traitor sister moved in on _MY_ husband after he left me…"

"I'm your…" I start to hiss, but the host cuts in.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask all four of you to leave this establishment immediately," the host demands.

"But we didn't…" Mary glares at him.

"It's _THEIR_…" I start at the same time, but the host doesn't seem to want to hear it. He points us out with the threat of calling security.

"FINE!" I fume. I slam out of there first. The other customers are staring at us, but I'm too angry to be embarrassed.

The others follow, each slamming the door.

"AAAAAYYYY!" Kevin bellows, catching the door that Mary tries to slam in his face. He and Lucy barrel out. Lucy's kind of edging close to him and to my shock, even sort of smiles up at him.

"Thanks," she tells him. Mary turns and glares at them, wide-eyed.

"What?" Kevin hisses back at her. "I was just being polite since you were being so rude…"

"You don't have to flirt back with her," Mary snarls.

"Yeah…" I put in, adding my glare to Kevin. "Especially since Lucy is _MY_ wife, not yours anymore!" I also glare at Lucy, who glares back. "And Kevin is your EX, Lucy, so what gives with falling for his nonsense?"

"What?" Lucy shrieks, glaring at me. "I don't fall for any nonsense, Martin Brewer! You're the one who started this whole mess and spoiled the whole night for us!"

"Eck-_CEEEUUUUSE_ ME?" I exclaim in anger and disbelief.

"You didn't have to jump to Kevin's bait and overreact just because he smiled a little at me!" Lucy keeps screaming. I can't believe she's blaming me for this whole mess when it's Kevin's fault!

"It's Kevin's fault, not mine, Lucy!" I yell, turning my glare back on Kevin, who glowers back. "You should have been grinning at _MY_ wife…you started this stupid nonsense, now you undo it, then get the hell out of here!"

Kevin juts his face into mine. "Just who do you think you are, telling me where to go…_YOU_ get out of here…and _YOU_ were the one who started it!"

"You sleazy, rotten punk!" I spit, putting my face back into his until our noses hit each others'.

"Don't spit all over me, you disgusting, immoral reptile!" Kevin screams.

I've just about had it with another person calling me names and telling me what to do, so I defy Kevin's little order and project saliva onto his ugly, square, doglike face. Kevin makes a face, then takes off, shouting back, "I'd slap you, but crap splatters, so I won't even lower myself…!"

I run after, wanting nothing more than to pound him to the ground and dump trash all over his horrid butt. Kevin always did have this judgmental, self-righteous attitude and he's always looked down on me. He's even worse than Simon in some ways!

Kevin stays ahead of me. Chasing after, I try to put on a burst of speed, but have no luck. Kevin vanishes around some kind of bend. I get there, fall over a huge flowered bush, but don't see him. I also wind up with mud and petals in my mouth.

I spit out the disgusting mess with a _PWPWPWPTAAA_ noise. Too bad I can't spit it in Kevin's face. Getting up, I look around, but he's gone. And I'm out of breath and panting anyway. He's not worth it anyway, I think in disgust.

I realize that I am across the street from our hotel, so I decide to go in for the night. Let Lucy find her way home since she seemed to still have a thing for Kevin. Those two deserve each other.

But I get another unpleasant little gift inside…Lucy is waiting in the cottage and she is furious at me…when she should be furious at Kevin and Mary.

"Just _WHERE_ were you after you went chasing Kevin down the street like some crazed cat?" Lucy yells, her face red.

Oh, this is so…enough! I think. "Out getting away from you since you seemed still sweet on Kevin!" I shout back.

"HOW THICK IS YOUR SKULL?" Lucy screams. "ARE YOU GOING TO BE CREATING THESE STUPID SCENES EVERY TIME SOME GUY SMILES SIDEWAYS AT ME? HUUUUH?"

"LOOK WHO'S TALKING ABOUT THICK SKULLS!" I yell. "YOU'RE TOO THICK TO SEE THROUGH KEVIN'S LITTLE GAMES!"

"TALK THICK SKULLS!" Lucy shrieks a bitter little laugh. "YOU SURE FELL FOR KEVIN AND MARY'S LITTLE SCHEME AND JUST REACTED LIKE SOME STUPID ANIMAL! CHASING KEVIN DOWN THE STREET LIKE SOME TEN-YEAR-OLD WHO'S MAD AT ANOTHER TEN-YEAR-OLD! REEEAL SMART AND MATURE, MARTIN BREWER! AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE MORE MATURE THAN KEVIN!"

"WELL, IT'S ME, NOT KEVIN WHO BROUGHT YOU HERE! IT'S ME AND NOT THAT SKUNK KEVIN WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS HONEYMOON…YEAH, YOU KNOW THE ONE YOU'VE FANTISIZED ABOUT ALL YOUR LIFE…"

"Oh, speaking of which…!" Lucy yells. "The desk called…it seems as if your dad's card is canceled and maxed out!"

"Whaaat!" I exclaim, taken off guard.

"Looks like you've run up your dad's card!" Lucy tells me. "They called and told us we have to leave by nine tonight if we can't make up the difference! So you better get your butt over there and deal with it or we won't have any place to stay tonight at all!"

* * *

"It's been canceled," the clerk tells me grimly. He's also looking at me suspiciously as if I'm some criminal.

"But it had twenty thousand on it!" I exclaim. "We can't have used up all twenty thousand in just a few nights!"

"Apparently, it has been…there are lots of charges on it," the clerk says, shaking his head. "And this other holder has also canceled the card, so even if it had money on it, it can no longer be accepted…sorry, but both you and your wife need to vacate by nine unless you have another acceptable card or other means of payment."

He hands the card back and turns toward the back room as if he'd just told me the weather or football scores.

"Just…._CRRRRRRAAAAAAP!_" I scream in fury. Several people look at me and I just glare back.

Lucy's standing at the door, giving me a long dirty look, then kind of snorts. "Well?" she sneers as if she finds this amusing.

"Well, we don't have any place to stay tonight, so our whole honeymoon, wedding, and marriage is just _SHOT TO HECK!_" I inform her. The look of disgust Lucy gives me confirms what I've said.

_A/N_: How's that for a cliffhanger? Hope you all enjoyed!


	27. Chapter 27

_A/N_: Hi, the usual disclaimers, etc, etc…onward with the Camden/Brewer drama…

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**27**

"It looks like we're going to have to call Dad," Lucy tells me.

We have our bags with us since they made us pack and leave the room right away. We're just standing in the lobby with all our stuff at our feet.

We've stepped out of the nosy clerk's sight to try to figure out just how we hope to get out of this second mess we've fallen into tonight.

Now's a great time to cancel the card, Dad, I think bitterly to myself. We also owe the hotel two hundred dollars.

"Call Eric!" I splutter. "No way…!"

"You have any other suggestions?" Lucy snaps.

I draw a blank, which infuriates me all over again. I don't have any cash with me and I certainly have no intention of calling my own useless excuse of a father.

"Well?" Lucy prods.

"No…you have any brilliant ideas?" I snap back.

"I told you…we have to call my father…he'll wire us the money," Lucy says as if it's that simple and as if she thinks I'm totally dense for not getting it.

"Knowing your father, he'll fly out here and have all kinds of strings attached…"

"Back to square one," Lucy snipes. "Do you have any other genius plans for bailing us out of this mess you've created?"

"I've created?" I exclaim angrily.

"Yes, you!" Lucy raises her voice again and paces. "It was you who made off with the credit card and you who had the bright idea for us to elope on your dad's dole in the first place! So, what do you propose, since you think you're such a genius…rob a bank…go mug some rich lady on the street?" Lucy throws her arms and hands in the air in sarcastic bafflement.

"Don't be ridiculous!" I snarl.

"You're the one who's ridiculous!" Lucy snarls back. "Maybe we could sleep on the beach until the cops kick us off…maybe even find our bags gone tomorrow if we do find some place to sleep out on any of the sand dunes."

I don't know how long we bicker like this, but after a long while, a security guard comes and peers at us. "Kids…happy holidays…I think since you've checked out, it's time to move on…it's eleven-thirty…"

"We are, sir," I tell him as if we're just moving to another hotel.

Kids! Doesn't that guy realize that I'm twenty-two and Lucy will turn twenty-eight in late January? If we were "kids," we sure wouldn't be here on our own.

We head outside. The outside is empty, deserted. There is a string of lights around the front door. Happy holidays, I think wryly. Right.

"We don't have any other options, but to call my dad," Lucy tells me indignantly. "You can cooperate or not, but _I'M_ calling Dad to send me the money, then I'm flying home…and that's with or without you!"

"Fine," I snap. "Do whatever…"

I wander a little ways off so I don't have to listen to Lucy complain to her daddy. Knowing her, she will make it seem like all my fault.

After what seems like an hour or so, Lucy finds me behind a tall, light-strung bush. "Okay, Dad says he'll see what he can do…I had to wake him up since it's two-thirty in the morning there…I told him where we are, so he can wire us the money fast…I told him to call me back as soon as the money's on its way."

"Yeah…" then I remember something. "Lucy…most likely all the Western Unions and FedEx offices are closed at this time of the night…and since it's actually Christmas tomorrow…how do you expect your dad to be able to send us the money…and in the mean time, just where are we going to sleep…out here in the bushes?"

Lucy's eyes flash indignantly. "Dad'll find something, I'm sure…he didn't tell me no, he can't send it…"

"Of course he's not going to tell you outright no!" I exclaim, amazed at her lack of common sense. "He knows if he does, you'll have one of your tantrums…that's your trouble…your parents never told you no…"

"Are you any better?" Lucy snarls. "Your dad let you get away with murder until you got Sandy pregnant…and the first time he did put his foot down with you, I remember you threw the biggest infantile tantrum! Don't forget Dad and I were the ones who got you to do the right thing and marry the mother of your son!"

"And what a mistake that was!" I bark back, furious again. "I was stuck in a lousy job with a terrible wife! A wife that poisoned my own sons against me, so now I'm stuck with _YOUR_ brats, not to mention getting dragged into the huge mess that you, Ruthie, Simon, and Mrs. Kinkirk created…!"

"You sure helped things along with your affair with Ruthie, getting yourself fired from your job, then getting yourself kicked out of your dad's house!" Lucy yells. "And you really didn't help matters with Simon…you know how twisted and messed up Simon is, yet you pushed his buttons and gave him further ammunition to use against us!"

"I gave Simon the ammunition?" I shout, appalled that she is trying to blame me for her awful mothering of her own kids. "No, you did! Those were _YOUR_ kids you failed to parent right! You and Ruthie's little brat! _YOU_ were the one who gave Simon and that Kinkirk woman the weapons to use against our family! Simon and that Kinkirk woman are right in that way…you stink as a mother!"

"And you _STINK_ as a father, so you should talk!" Lucy screams, her face bright red. "You're a hypocrite, criticizing me, then lousing things up with your own sons! And don't forget, Dad and I tried to help you out there and with Sandy…but you blew it, so you really have no one to blame but _YOURSELF_ for that!"

I happen to glance up and see a few faces peering out of windows. "Well, you better shut up because people are staring at us!" I tell her.

"What people?" Lucy shrieks. "There's no one out here this early on _CHRISTMAS_ morning, you idiot!"

"THE WINDOWS!" I point to the cottages. "People are looking at us from _INSIDE_, dodo!"

"They can't see us…" Lucy says.

"But they sure can _HEAR_ you," I tell her.

"And you!" Lucy stalks further down and pouts at the sky.

To my surprise, the sky is beginning to grow lighter. Great, I think. We spent our entire night out here yelling at each other. I just wonder how we will spend Christmas Day. I just hope it's not out here, screaming at each other.

True, Lucy and I are not getting into the whole holiday circus today, but standing out here sulking and arguing all day waiting for Eric to come to our rescue is _NOT_ how I want to spend today either.

It's getting light earlier then back in Glen Oak. I guess it's because Hawaii is close to the equator. I don't want to deal with Lucy now, so I grab my suitcase and overnight bag and walk over toward the main road. A little mini-moke speeds by, almost mowing me down.

"Merrrrry Christmas!" the driver calls out, laughing as he speeds off. Scowling at him, I continue down the narrow road.

It's a bit awkward, dragging my bags with me, but I really don't trust Lucy to have the brains to watch my stuff. With the way my luck is going, I'd come back to find my bags and Lucy gone.

Leaving the little road, I head toward the beach. I walk down until I reach a little dock, then sit, exhausted. The sky is slowly turning pink toward the east, so I decide to just sit and watch the sun rise.

It is a pretty sunrise, turning the sky a bright pink with some orange and yellow streaks, then the sky turns a solid pale pink, then yellowish as the sun lifts into the horizon. I wish this was something I could see every morning, I realize.

With a bitter laugh, I remember the plans Ruthie and I had made to live here and for me to get into baseball…way back before I realized how self-centered Ruthie is.

I wonder if it'll be the same crap with Lucy now. This one is deeper, since Lucy and I are actually husband and wife. "Ughhh…" I groan as it dawns on me that Lucy is now Mrs. Martin Brewer.

Maybe with luck, I can get Lucy's parents to talk some sense into her…if her dad doesn't keep coddling her the way he always had. Maybe this will be Eric's wake-up call. After all, it was Eric that Lucy woke up in the middle of the night for the money. And it was Lucy, not me who made that call.

I debate calling Eric myself and asking for money so I can head home since I really don't want to spend another few days dealing with Lucy's immaturity. By now, Eric's awake along with the family, so it's not like I'd be waking anyone up.

Hawaii's two hours behind Glen Oak, so in Glen Oak…I check the time on my cell…it should be almost ten, so I dial, but get nothing but their voice mail. Drat! I bang the phone shut.

Since today is Christmas, I should have figured they'd be at church by now. I wonder what Eric's sermon is for today. Smiling wryly to myself, I wonder if anyone had the decency to show up besides the family.

Hopefully, that Kinkirk lady has not bulldozed Eric and Annie into caving in to the Pagan hoopla and buying the kids all these toys…as if those brats don't have enough crap already.

I also pray that if Simon tried to send anything to the kids, Eric and Annie have the sense to intercept it and also to make sure they are the ones who pick up the phone if Simon tries to call Savannah and fill her head with that "Merry Christmas" and Santa-bringing-goodies trash.

I'm glad I am out here on this beautiful beach today…at least for the morning, so I can get some peace. Best of all, there is none of the holiday nonsense out here…just the beach, the flowers, and the sun, which is bright, warm, and wonderful now.

I'm not sure how long I sit here, enjoying the beautiful tropical weather. I wish I could stay right here and at the hotel, but without money, it'll be a challenge.

It's a real temptation to just wander away, head to any downtown area and apply for any job in one of their little stores and earn money there, then get a little apartment and just live here, away from everyone's crap. But then I remember that today, everything's closed for Christmas.

That's another nonsensical thing with this holiday brouhaha…the world just shuts down for Christmas Day.

"Martin…Martin Brewer…" I hear someone calling. I look around. It's not Lucy calling me. It's a man's voice. Standing, I nearly fall over when I see Eric himself heading toward me.

"There you are, young man," Eric declares. What is Eric doing _here_? I wonder.

"Yeah…" I say, coming over. "Did Lucy tell you to come?" I demand, my anger at her rising all over again.

"Not exactly…let's get back to the hotel and we'll talk more…Lucy's waiting for us…a lot happened after you and Lucy took off…"

"What has…?" I ask as we walk back up the road. We have to walk on the side of the road, actually because all these little mokes keep whizzing by. "What about church back home?"

"We'll discuss it all when we get home." Eric says sternly. "Especially starting with your brilliant idea to get Lucy to elope with you."

"It wasn't all my…" I start to protest.

"You're the one who ran up your own father's credit card, for starters," Eric says. "And I understand that it was your suggestion to elope and fly here without a word to anyone."

Just great! I think. Lucy's no doubt put the entire blame on me for this fiasco and made herself out to be this innocent victim. By this time, we are back at the hotel.

I glare at Lucy, who smirks back as Eric goes in and I guess pays the last two hundred we owe. It takes a while because I can see Eric in there talking to the clerk. I wonder why he's taking so long…are they actually _socializing_ in there?

After what seems like fifty years, Eric emerges, loads us into the car he's rented, then we ride to the airport.

"Eric…I hope Lucy didn't pin the entire blame on me…" I start.

"No, Dad saw your immaturity and saw that you maxed out your dad's credit card!" Lucy butts in. "I hardly had to tell Dad anything!"

Eric wheeshes and runs an impatient hand through his thin hair.

"Sure, you didn't…" I say shortly. "All you had to do was put on the charm for daddy…"

"Enough!" Eric suddenly shouts. "Martin, you should be aware that your father was quite upset with you and with Annie and me…due to your actions, your father got Annie arrested and possibly some jail time…"

"WHAAAAAAT!" Lucy and I both scream at the same time.

"So what did Mom do?" Lucy asks. She's not even that concerned, more morbidly curious. "Throw one of her tantrums and destroy the rest of the house? Then Martin's dad came and saw the mess and called the cops on her?"

"Annie assaulted Martin's father," Eric tells us grimly.

"ASSAULTED?" I can't believe this. "Annie…assaulting my father? My dad has to be lying!"

By then, we're at the airport. Eric parks the car, then turns and tells us. "Yes…the night you two took off, Mr. Brewer came over to ask about his credit card that you took and maxed out, Martin…Annie let him in, which was foolish of her…I was still at the church office and came home only after Annie was in the squad car…the police and some neighbors told me what happened…

"Annie let your father in and he started questioning her on your whereabouts…Annie told him and he accused her of 'allowing this.' As you can see, it upset Annie…Annie had just cooked up a bowl of pasta and was getting it ready for dinner…she'd had it up to there…so told him to get out and he refused, so she went berserk and hit him…with the pasta strainer…he tried to fend off her blows and ran out of the house…but by then, Annie was too angry to think straight…

"She chased him out into the yard, yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs, knocked him down and struck him repeatedly with the strainer until he nearly lost consciousness and suffered a mild concussion and small gash on the top of his head."

Lucy rolls her eyes. "I'd figure Mom getting herself into a mess like this."

"One of the neighbors called nine-one-one," Eric continues. "The ambulance came and rushed your father to the hospital, where he stayed overnight…he was released a day later…thank God it was not more serious or Annie would be in deeper trouble than she already is."

"Sheeeesh…of all times for my dad to pull this…" I heave a gusty sigh.

"He wouldn't have come over had it not been for _you_ pulling this, Martin," Eric practically barks at me. I get the bad feeling that Eric is going to blame me for this whole mess anyway.

"And Annie wouldn't have gotten herself into this trouble," Eric adds. "The police came and arrested Annie, who was still carrying on…and I might add that somehow, I don't know how, that Kinkirk woman got wind of what was going on, came right over there, let herself right into our house, of which Annie had left the door open to, and took Savannah and Rick back to her hotel room."

"God, that Kinkirk woman is sure an opportunist!" Lucy pounds her fist on the door frame. "Anything to make us look bad!" She glares at me as if she thinks it's my fault.

Eric sighs. "Mrs. Kinkirk has the kids now…she says she's keeping them for a couple of more days…until this 'blows over,' she told me…and I could tell she had Lilly with her also."

"Juuuuust greeeat…" I hiss under my breath. "No doubt they'll let Simon know…"

"I'm sure they will, Martin," Eric tells me. "Just another thing to drive that wedge between Simon and Annie…as if those two don't have enough problems…I got back just as the police was getting ready to drive Annie off and book her…she spent the night in jail…I had to borrow money to bail her out of jail…now she's facing assault charges and could get up to thirty days in jail…her hearing is in mid-January…let's get going since we have a plane to catch home…and I do not want to hear bickering from either one of you…understand?"

"Yes, sir," I nod.

"Yeah…" Lucy mutters.

We grab our bags and head into the airport. The security line is not that long…in fact, there are only three people in it, so we go through quickly. We wait in silence until boarding.

Thankfully Lucy heeds her dad for once and doesn't start in on me again. I sleep for a good portion of the flight home. Lucy and her dad talk a bit about mundane things.

It's a rather grim trip home. I'm still fuming about Lucy and Eric heaping the whole blame on me for this fiasco. I am sure my dad has also added his two cents worth as well…maybe he even had the police over to the hospital, so he could play the injured party and dump accusations all over me and how it's all my "fault" that he barged in on Annie and accused her.

Glen Oak seems dreary and colorless compared to Hawaii. Everything is closed, so it's like a ghost town. Tinsel glitters all over the place and a few lit Christmas trees adorn the windows of our neighbors…yep, those neighbors who helped us into all this mess our family's in now.

It is also chilly and a tad windy, which does not help my mood at all. What a change from sunny, warm Hawaii, I think bitterly as Eric pulls up to our house. Once the car is parked, Lucy scrambles out of the car and runs into the house, leaving Eric and me to deal with the bags, including hers. How considerate of her.

"Martin…" Eric tells me as we gather the bags and head up the walk. "I think you need to straighten things out with your dad…you're going to have to pay back most of that card…he's thinking of suing you for the money."

"Ex_CUSE_ ME?" I exclaim. "My own father can't _SUE_ me!"

"Yes, he can," Eric sighs. "And he's within his rights to do so…if it hadn't been for your scheme, Beau Brewer would have been out of our hair for good…but in a way, you gave him fodder for getting us into more trouble…as if we haven't had enough trouble this year."

He enters the house, leaving me standing out on the porch for a long minute, absolutely fuming. Talk about bad parenting…Eric sure needs to take a long look at himself and see how he's spoiled his daughter rotten.

I wish I had some other place to stay, so I could get away from Lucy and Eric and their stupidity, but I don't, so I have no other option but the enter this nut factory of a house…which still has quite a bit of damage from the wreck Annie and Eric's twin horrors created earlier this month.

_A/N_: Hope you all are continuing to enjoy this story! Lots of drama in there for their Christmas…hopefully, none of you have to deal with a mess as big as the one Martin and Lucy created…the story is beginning to wind down…I think it'll maybe be three more chapters or so, then it'll be done. And again, thanks for all your terrific reviews!


	28. Chapter 28

_A/N_: Finally! After a busy few months, I had time to finish this chapter! It took me four months of writing bits and pieces here and there in snatches of free time between work and family, but I _finally_,_ finally_ completed this chapter, which is kind of a pivotal one in some ways. My apologies for the long wait between chapters.

After this chapter, I think it'll be just two more chapters and the story will be finally done. It's beginning to wind down with this chapter; I'm glad I'll be able to have it thirty chapters long, which was my goal.

Again, the usual disclaimers that none of the _7__th__ Heaven _characters, places, or plotlines or mine, much as I wish dear Simon was…onward and enjoy!

**Interfamily Affairs and Games**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**28**

Inside, Lucy and Annie are yelling at each other upstairs. Fortunately, Eric is in his study, so I don't have to deal with him right now.

Heaving disgusted sigh, I head into the kitchen for a snack. Unfortunately, the twin brats are there, wolfing down a lunch of some kind of beef stew and mashed potatoes.

"So much for you and Lucy's fancy wedding," Sam sniggers and pokes David.

"Just shut up," I snap. I help myself to some stew and take the plate and a can of cranberry juice out of the twins' sight. No way am I eating with those boys.

I'm glad Ms. Kinkirk has taken Savannah and Rick out of the house for Christmas Day, so I don't have to deal with them either.

I really don't want to listen to Annie and Lucy screaming at each other, so rather than going upstairs, I go out back to the patio and eat out there. It's cloudy and chilly…so different from beautiful Hawaii.

I just hope our whole marriage isn't going to be like this…Lucy acting so stupid and Eric blaming me for everything. It looks like I won't be able to really count on Eric when it comes to dealing with Lucy. Maybe Annie can be more of a help.

I'm almost done eating when Annie flounces out onto the patio. "Martin…" she seems to start when she sees me.

"Hey, Annie…" I say. I pull out a chair for her. To my relief, she doesn't seem to blame me for the mess Lucy created. She sits and even pats my arm. "Lucy give you an earful?"

"Yes…and a lot of help Eric is…hiding in his study while Lucy screams at me about how it's all my 'fault' that she took off to Hawaii and talked you into marrying her…I can't believe she did this and totally left me out," Annie complains.

"I can believe it…" I say. "She never is very appreciative of all you do for her. I sure found out the hard way on this little trip…I wanted to treat her to the honeymoon of her dreams…but she just ruined it by throwing a complete fit…she got us kicked out of our hotel…did she tell you we saw Kevin and Mary there?"

"Yes…Mary…" Annie heaves a gusty sigh. "Another one who just leaves me totally out of her life…I find out she's married again through Lucy's accusations…Lucy just finished yelling at me that I'm this horrible mother…"

A loud snort erupts from me. "She should talk!" I exclaim after I splutter on a sip of cranberry juice. "She's the one who had the social workers investigating her and the way she's raising those kids of hers…not to mention you're the one doing most of the grunge work."

Annie nods. "And never once has she thanked me or her father for all we've done for her…it was because of Eric and me that she was able to home school Savannah for a few months…but now thanks to those government busybodies that Simon and that Kinkirk woman sicked on us, my granddaughter will have to go to a school…she and Rick will have to get these immunization shots…I really don't know if I can take them and let them be injected with all those chemicals…" Annie sniffles a little.

Putting an arm around her, I let her lean on me. She sniffles for a while. "Maybe Eric can do that job…"

"Maybe…if he's not still holding a grudge on me for what happened these past few days," Annie moans. "I know he told you and Lucy about what happened between your father and me…"

"Yeah, he did," I say. "And put all the blame on me as if it's my fault my own father came over here and dumped all these accusations on you…that was rotten of him."

"I know it's not your fault, Martin," Annie sits up. "Thanks to Beau Brewer, I could spend a few weeks in jail….he got me arrested…can you imagine how humiliating it was to be handcuffed like some criminal in my own front lawn with all the neighbors watching and hauled off in a police car with the lights flashing?"

I stifle a smile at the image. "So you really creamed him good with that strainer, huh?"

Annie pounds a fist on the table. "He just made me so mad…he just dumped these horrible attacks on me…hinted that I was a 'negligent,' and 'overindulgent' mother…claimed that I 'let' you take his credit card…as if I'm supposed to be responsible for keeping track of his credit cards…" Annie huffs a minute.

"I told him it was his own fault for losing his card…he came right back at me with this line that I 'enabled' you to 'steal' his card…I just snapped…I'd had enough…as if I didn't have to deal with other things…like Eric, Lucy, the boys, Simon, that Kinkirk woman, Lilly, those social workers, not to mention the cops and the courts…"

"Yeah…" I say. "It's been rough this fall…for both of us…"

"And Eric was no help…" Annie complains. "He just stood there and let the cops haul me off…let me spend a night in jail…his own wife…I can't believe I spent a night in _JAIL_…the place was horrible…I felt like dirt…there was this other woman in the cell with me…looked like a complete prostitute…five inches of makeup…spent the night staring at me as if I were this museum display…Eric finally showed up with the bail the next morning and they let me out."

"Wow…" I whistle.

"I told Eric about Beau's slandering me," Annie says. "He just kept going _ummm_ all the way home, then shut himself into his study…I had to call and hunt around for a lawyer myself."

"Wow…great supportive husband," I say sarcastically.

"Yeah…really great," Annie agrees, catching my drift. "It's like the possibly of my going to _JAIL_ doesn't phase him at all."

"So do Simon or Mary know about any of this?" I ask. "Did either one of them call?"

"No…" Annie snarls, then goes back to sniffling. "Not a word from either one of them…and I know Simon's met Sean's family…he's probably with them for the holidays…not a thought about me and what I'm going through…and Mary, I'm sure is living it up with Kevin…she's also indifferent…and it's not as if I'd done anything to her."

"I'm here for you, Annie," I tell her. "No one else seems to be…Eric and Lucy, not to mention my own father and my own sons are also ignoring me this holiday…" I laugh bitterly with a snort. "Good movie title…_Dissed for Christmas_…you and I would make great stars of it since we know what it's like."

Annie starts to cry some and leans on me again. I put an arm around her. At least she's not doing her _uuhhh_-_uhhhh_ theatrics today. We sit like that for a long while…maybe most of the afternoon.

* * *

It starts drizzling by early evening, so Annie and I have to head inside. Once again, I help her make dinner. The twins are in the living room, lazing in front of the television as usual.

It's certainly no occasion for any turkey dinner, but Annie does manage to spice up a chicken breasts with a special sauce she makes. She also goes into the living room to try to get Sam and David off their useless butts to at least set the table.

As usual, they bicker, hem and haw. It's hard to believe they will be eleven this coming February. They act like they're five.

Annie is partially successful because plates and silverware clank on the dining room table as the twins sigh and grumble.

"Are Dad and Lucy eating with us?" Sam pokes his head into the kitchen.

"Yes," Annie tells him as we carry the food there.

"Dad's still at the church," David chimes in as he enters the dining room. "I think he's asking God to give him permission to kick Martin's butt."

"David!" Annie says.

"It's true…" David insists. "Dad's really pissed at Martin."

"Watch your language, young man," Annie glares at David. David just rolls his eyes as we sit.

"Wanna call your wife to dinner, Mart?" Sam snickers. "Since it's your wedding dinner and all?"

Lifting my lip at Sam, I put my napkin in my lap. I am so not in the mood for dealing with Lucy right now. No one moves for a minute. Annie finally sighs, gets up and calls upstairs. At first, Lucy doesn't respond.

"Lucy, I'm not going to leave dinner out for you after the rest of us eat, so if you want dinner, you'll have to come down now!" Annie shouts. "And with the kathuffle with the church lately, there just isn't any snack food lying around either."

It takes ages, but Lucy does come on down sulkily. Eric stays at the church, so we eat without Eric. It doesn't look like Annie's saving anything for Eric either.

It does feel strange without Eric there. Annie gets up and paces several times in the kitchen. Lucy finishes quickly and leaving her plate on the table, goes upstairs without a word to anyone, leaving Annie and me to clean up after her. She's as spoiled as Ruthie.

* * *

Eric doesn't get home until late. By then, I'm in bed. Eric does go into the bedroom, even though Annie's there. I hear some bickering, even though I can't hear what they're saying.

It's rather late the next morning when I wake up. Thankfully, no one bothers me…yet. I'm still only half-awake when Annie's screech comes clear upstairs.

"NO, I DID NOT 'ALMOST KILL' YOUR BROTHER!" Annie's screaming at someone who is clearly another drop-in.

Another voice is saying something I can't clearly understand…it takes me a few seconds to realize that it's my aunt.

All of my sleepiness vanishes abruptly as I sit up. What in God's name is my aunt doing here?!

Shooting out of bed, I pull off my boxer shorts and throw on a shirt and yank on some pants. They're a bit rumpled, but I am in a rush to find out just what is going on now and why my aunt is here all the way from New York.

"Thank God Beau only spent one night in the hospital and was able to leave this town the day after…he's almost moved into his apartment…I know my nephew is living with you," My aunt is saying.

Eric's coming in from his study. "Yes, we took him in after your brother threw him out of the house."

"Yes, that's true," I chime in as I approach the foot of the stairs, causing the three of them to look up at me.

It's been a few years since I've seen my aunt. She still looks pretty much the same except she's put on some weight and her wispy gold-brown hair is now streaked with gray.

"Your brother was so eager to buy his condo he pretty much ousted me out of my own home," I confirm.

Eric tilts his face toward me, then his head sideways, his eyes huge. Standing tall, I just jut my chin out, giving Eric a glare back. It's the truth; I'm not going to lie for Eric.

"Is this why you…assaulted Beau, Mrs. Camden?" My aunt's brows rise as she stares at Annie with wide eyes. "Or is it because you blame him for my nephew's running off with your daughter?"

I gasp. "How did you know about that?" I demand. "And how did you dig up this about Mrs. Camden and my dad? Are you in cahoots with Simon and Mrs. Kinkirk? Have they been feeding you dirt on Annie and me?"

"Martin…" Eric wheeshes and puts up a hand, trying to quiet me, causing me to back up.

The snooty gesture annoys me. I'm tempted to smack his hand down, but don't want my aunt to see me do this because she'll think of me as a troublemaker, especially since I am sure Eric and Lucy will find a way to blame me.

"Let me handle this…" Eric declares, waving my aunt and Annie into the living room. Annie touches my arm and I follow her.

"I'll get to the rest of the bottom of this, Reverend and Mrs. Camden," my aunt says quietly. "First off, Martin, I am not in 'gaagoots' with anyone…I received a disturbing call from the hospital the night the assault happened…they informed me that my brother was in the hospital with a concussion from an assault."

"How did the hospital know…?" Annie gasps, her blue eyes bulging.

Beau has my number in his cell…" my aunt tells us. "I tell you, that call was frightening, considering that my brother entrusted you, Annie, along with Eric to take responsibility for my nephew when my brother was overseas."

"His cell…" Eric says incredulously as the rest of us look at each other.

"I called the next day at my brother's number….by then, he was home…he explained to me what had happened…including how you had struck him numerous times with a pasta strainer, Mrs. Camden."

"Your brother…!" Annie splutters furiously. "Barged into _MY_ house and began hurling accusations against me after my daughter and your nephew left for Hawaii after eloping! _YOUR_ brother accused me of being a bad mother and implied that it was _MY_ fault that they eloped…and you, Eric, didn't help matters by just standing by and letting me get arrested in front of all our neighbors, so now we are the laughingstock of all of Glen Oak!"

"_YOU_ made us the laughingstock of Glen Oak, Mom!" Lucy's coming down the stairs. I wonder how long she'd been standing over there listening. "You and Ruthie."

Lucy comes into the living room and sits. She ignores me and glares at her mother.

Good, at least she acknowledges that Ruthie's far from blameless in this whole fiasco…along with in this whole mess of an autumn and early winter.

"Let's not forget Simon and that Kinkirk woman, not to mention Sam and David among others," I add. "They each had a role in making total fools out of all of us in front of Glen Oak."

"I hope one of the 'others' includes you, Martin," Eric butts in. "You are far from innocent here…"

My breath bursts out with a noisy, indignant _hfffffffththhhh_ unintentionally. All right, if Eric wants me to dance to the mea culpa tune to satisfy his ego…

"Yes, actually it does," I admit. Mostly addressing my aunt, I also speak for Eric and Lucy's benefit, so they'll get off my back and stop blaming me for their crap. "I know I made mistakes…not just this Christmas, but this autumn…I did things I shouldn't have, along with Lucy, Ruthie, Simon and some others…"

My aunt stares at me in an almost pitying way which irks me. "I do hope one of those 'mistakes' you're acknowledging is how you've treated your father, your former wife, and your two sons."

_Geeeeeeeeez! _I think. My dad really did dish the dirt out on me and told my aunt all the filthy little details of what went down between Sandy and me and the boys.

He likely has also told her that I'm some adulterer who fooled around with Ruthie behind Sandy's back, then cheated with both Lucy and Ruthie and sneaked around on them.

"Yeah, _geeeez_ is right, Martin," Lucy chimes in.

It's the first time she's spoken to me since our Christmas Eve fight. I hadn't realized that I'd spoken this out loud.

"Hey, I tried to help you get back together with Sandy and be there for your own sons," Lucy shrugs.

"_Sandy_ was the one who didn't want to work things out!" I fire back. "_Sandy_, with my own dad and with Simon's generous help, turned my own boys against me and slandered me as this unfit father in front of everyone at court!"

"So did I, despite the fact that you were having your affair with Ruthie," Eric adds.

"You sure didn't try hard enough to re-unite Martin with his family, Lucy," Annie glares at Lucy, who gives her a filthy look back. "And we all know Sandy was far from a great wife or mother….not to mention Simon's hand in this…" Annie then turns her glare to my aunt. "And your brother's facilitating Simon's scheme to get back at us for his own issues."

"You sure iced the cake of this, Annie," Eric adds. "If you hadn't beaten Beau that night, his sister wouldn't be here…"

"_SO WAS I SUPPOSED TO STAND THERE IN MY OWN KITCHEN, GRIN, AND TAKE HIS INSULTS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE?_" Annie's eyes bulge as she screams this. "_WE WERE ALREADY THE SUBJECT OF GOSSIP IN THIS TOWN, THANKS TO RUTHIE, SIMON, THAT KINKIRK WOMAN, BEAU, THOSE SOCIAL WORKER JERKS, AND THE TWINS!_"

"You should have called me…" Eric starts, but Annie stands up so fast, she knocks the stuffed chair backwards, where it slides clear across the floor into the foyer.

The chair crashes into the potted plant by the stairs. The plant falls over, spills dirt all over the off-white upholstery, and shatters the pot.

"_NO, ERIC, I'M SICK OF TAKING THE BLAME FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S CRAP!_" Annie shrieks and storms out of the room, thumping her way up the stairs.

A scuttling noise comes from the stairs with a giggle. "_BOYYYS!_" Annie yells.

"Crrrap…" I mutter, suspecting that those twin brats were just out of sight on the stairs, listening to everything in the living room.

For a change, it's a good thing Savannah and Rick are still with Mrs. Kinkirk and Lilly, so they can't eavesdrop on this latest Camden drama.

Annie yells something at the boys I don't understand too clearly and Sam snarks something back. The nerve, the _gall _of those little…twin pigs. A door slams.

Eric sighs, running a hand through his hair. Lucy sits by him and leans close, glaring at my aunt. I also glare at her. My aunt just looks at us kind of appraising, yet pitying us. She has always been generally quiet.

When I lived with her, she knew not to try to control me or pull the mother act on me too much; she mostly stayed out of my way until she tried to get me to move to New York with her.

Thank God she backed down when I told her I wasn't budging just to follow her big dream of being this sock designer. So I wonder what her deal is with flying out here now to barge back into my life.

"Well, Ms Brewer…" Eric says. "I really do apologize for my wife's actions…not just for today, but for her attack on your brother…and I do hope your brother recovers…our family is leaving this house in a few days anyway, so Glen Oak won't have us as their gossip subject much longer…and I know your nephew…" Eric gives me a hard look "…is on the way to becoming more responsible in the future, especially since he's remarried and has two stepchildren."

"We're moving?" I ask in surprise. "Where to?"

"I spoke to the elders at the Glen Oak church," Eric tells us. "I've accepted another position at an evangelical church in Crossroads."

"And this church teaches just what's in the Bible," Lucy adds. "Fundamental basics…no mythical nonsense and _NONE_ of that 'holiday' crap for the birth of Christ…it's a shame that we didn't move there earlier…long before this Christmas."

"I do intend to become more responsible," I tell my aunt. "Since my dad…your brother has pretty much written me off and kicked me out, I don't think he'll tangle with the Camdens anymore…and Sandy took my sons and moved out of town also, so Beau can have his relationship with them away from us…Lucy and I are married now, so I'll be moving with the Camdens to Crossroads." I shrug.

"So, now that Beau is going to heal and not be involved in our lives again, I think you can go and be done with us," Eric says. "And let our family start our new lives in Crossroads without any additional interference."

My aunt stands, giving me a long look. "As long as the kids in this house are all right…Beau did mention that Simon and Mrs. Kinkirk were very worried about the children living here…I'll go and I'll not interfere…"

"_But_…" my aunt adds so suddenly that I can't help jumping a bit, much to my indignation. She's never spoken this strongly before. "…_only_ as long as the children are in school and are safe…" she walks to the door.

"Goodbye, Reverend Camden…Mrs. Kinkirk…and Martin…good luck in your new lives…I do hope things settle down in Crossroads…not just for the sake of you three and Annie, but for the innocent children." She must be taking lessons on being pushy and nosy from Mrs. Kinkirk and Lilly.

She leaves quietly and quickly without anyone walking her to the door. She seems all too glad to get away from us, much to my relief. I'm so glad I didn't let my dad guilt me into going to her place way over in New York over Thanksgiving.

"Martin…Lucy," Eric sighs again, looking at each of us across the room. "You two are married now…if we hope to get our lives together and not be the subject of any more gossip and interference, then you both will have to start conducting yourselves with more maturity in the future…"

He look at us again, then nudges Lucy and I on the same side of the living room, I guess wanting us two to start talking again.

"It means you both will have to work out this latest feud and learn to live as a married couple…like Annie and I have learned to…we start our move the day after tomorrow…it's almost the New Year and I will expect everyone to do their part in making our new lives in our new house in the new year much better than it has been this year…is the clear to both of you?"

"Yes, sir," I say.

"Sure, Dad," Lucy nods. "Are you going to tell Mom and the boys this also? They have a part in making this work out also."

"Yes…" Eric says. "I'll talk to them."

"What about Savannah and Rick?" I ask. "How do we keep them from squealing to Simon or Mrs. Kinkirk…or the government bigwig social workers? They'll be forced into school in another week…how do we know they won't be talking to the teachers there about us?"

"I'll talk to Savannah," Lucy declares. "I'll tell her she can visit her grandma and aunt and go to school and all…but just to be careful who she trusts…Rick also when he gets older…maybe with a little luck, if we all pitch in and make this work…not give those socialist busybodies, Simon, Lilly, that Kinkirk woman _or_ the kids any fodder, they'll have no choice but to leave us alone."

"Good start, Luce," Eric kisses her forehead and heads upstairs.

Lucy and I are alone in the living room. "You, along with me are going to have to help in this, Martin."

"I know…" I say.

I really don't want to keep fighting with Lucy. Unless I work out some kind of truce with her, this family will keep having outsiders on our backs.

If our lives get screwed up in Crossroads for whatever reason, I don't want to be party to that also; I don't want to get any of the blame if things go bad between Lucy and me or if Savannah and Rick don't accept me as their stepfather. I will try to make sure Lucy's kids don't recoil from me the way my own two sons have.


End file.
